Being heard
by LittlemissSherlock
Summary: Loki is the prince in a shadow who no one will listen to. Grace in a passionate and bold maid who works in the royal Asgardian household. What happens when the shadowed prince meets someone who listens and might just understand. Loki/OC, pre/postThor, pre/post avengers. Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Why can't just stay in the library?

Loki POV

"Brother!" I heard Thor boom from the hallway. The oaf didn't even know where the library was to talk to me face to face.

"In here, brother," I shouted back to get his attention. Maybe he might have enough brain cells to follow my voice to the correct room. I heard his footsteps getting louder so I shut my book on the nine realms with an audible snap and laid the book gently on my lap.

"Ah, there you are," Thor said walking up to me, "what is this room?"

"Please telling me you're kidding," I said not believing my ears.

"Father wants us in the throne room to talk-"

"You mean talk to you, I just stand in the room, in the corner while father talks about the coronation. No...wait your coronation," I interrupted.

"Loki, you have as much chance as I do for getting-"

"Don't. Even. Start. Why can't I just stay in the library?" I muttered bitterly.

"Just come on," Thor ordered grabbing my arm roughly and dragging me out of the library. My book dropped with a thud on the floor. I rolled my eyes and went along with Thor's tugging.

Grace POV

I finished washing the last greasy pan and looked down at my hands. They were red and raw from all the scrubbing and the harsh soap that I had to use. I sighed and dried my hand on the nearest rough white towel.

"Grace!" EYDÍS, one of the housemaids called, "I was told to pass on word. The library needs cleaned up."

"The...the library?" I replied uncertainly. Of all my years working in the palace with my love of books, I had never been in the library.

"Yes. Now!" she ordered. I snapped out of my haze, straightened my skirts, fixed my fiery red hair back in a tight braided bun and made my way briskly to the library.

On my way in the long, similar gold corridors of the Asgardian palace I saw maids and butlers carrying jugs full and empty of alcohol, some were rushing with towels to probably wipe up whatever the warriors had spilt and some had fine linen and silk gowns in the brightest colours and prettiest styles that made any girl wish she was a princess.

After passing more maids and butlers with food and drink I figured the evening's feast (meant to be evening meal) had begun. I had only just finished cleaning the dishes and pans from the previous night's. I gave a sigh of relief as I reached the doors to the library and pushed.

As the large, grand doors swung open my breath hitched. I walked in to find myself surrounded by rows and rows of books. All in pristine condition apart from being coated in a thin layer of dust - which I had to sweep away.

I didn't waste any time for I thought that the sooner I finished, the longer I could fool the others I was still working and not delving into the stories contained in the leather bound pages of the library.

The royal family had every kind of book possible there. History, geography, stories of the nine realms, stories of battles and magic. I read through the various titles as I swept wondering to myself how I could have been so naive of thinking how many books there actually were! I blame my father for the obsession. He used to get me a new book every time he had a chance. My mother disapproved - naturally. He left for Valhalla too soon. I wiped the tear that had begun to trickle down my cheek with haste and continued with my task.

After reading the titles and humming to myself as I went, the job passed quicker than expected so I went to the "tales of magic" section and nestled myself in a corner next to the window. It was where I used to sit in my own house when I read before I was ordered by my mother to go and work at the palace.

I made myself comfortable and slowly drifted into the story...

I hadn't realised how much time had passed until the light had started to dim considerably through the window. I drew my attention back to the book, determined to finish the chapter before I was scolded by cook for wasting time. I read hastily desperate to put my mind at rest at an exciting part in the story.

"Why can't I just stay in the library?" I sighed finishing the chapter, still unsatisfied.

"What do you think you're doing?" an accusing deep voice broke through the silence. I lifted my head so quickly it almost gave me whiplash and slammed the book shut in my hands.

"Well...I..erm.."

**Author's Note:**

**I know, Cliffhanger but you can probably guess who it is. This is my first fanfic! I finally learnt how to publish stuff, hooray! Please comments and reviews are most welcome constructive or not. I will update if the response is good. **

**Yours faithfully,**

**Little Miss Sherlock **


	2. Chapter 2

Here's chapter 2! This was more of an impulse upload as I got the idea last night.  
I forgot to add this in in the first chapter so:

DISCLAIMER: Sadly...I do not own Loki (weep, weep). Or Thor, or any other known Marvel characters that might just pop up.

Chapter 2: Maids don't read.

Loki POV

I had just finished eating another rich feast to "wish us both well" for getting the title passed down. But everyone knew it would be Thor - older brother and golden boy. As I was still a bit angry at the whole thing, I thought I should go into the library for some solitude. It was practically my sanctuary because barely anyone other than me went in there.

I walked in but didn't bother lighting any of the lamps even though it was starting to get dark. A maid would come round and do it for me in a matter of minutes. I walked to the "magic" section of the library. I slowed my page as I heard the sound of pages turning and peered around the corner to see who else spends time reading. I thought it couldn't be a nobleman as they are all still at the dinner table getting drunk with Thor and Father.

It was a young woman who looked around the same age as me. She had fiery red hair that had been fixed in an immaculate braided bun. She was wearing rags but with the royal crest of Asgard on her. She was a maid. Probably the one who should be lighting the lamps. Her passionate ocean blue eyes flicked furiously as she read the book. I strained my eyes to see the title but it was just a blur of gold writing on the brown background. She sighed still frustrated which I assumed was because she hadn't reached the end of the story and reached an exciting climax.

"Why can't I just stay in the library?" she sighed. I then felt it was my time to intervene. Most maids hate being here with the books, probably because Thor never comes in here other than to fetch me.

"Excuse me? What do you think you are doing here?" I said accusingly. My voice broke through the silence with ease, startling the maid. Her eyes and head shot up immediately to look at me. They were wide with shock and fear. She closed the book in her hands with an audible thud.

"Well...I...erm."

Grace POV

I sounded like a babbling idiot! The worst person found me at the worst possible time! It wasn't cook or any of the snooty housemaids, but a prince of Asgard himself. No one talks about Loki as much and I see Thor more often on my travels around the palace. Who am I kidding! I have never seen Loki in my life until today. But I knew exactly who he was the moment my eyes shot up to look in his mischievous emerald green orbs. He was wearing his long green cape and silver armour with his gold necklace. His raven hair was slicked back showing his cheekbones (which were sharp enough to cut glass). In my opinion with his pale skin and interesting eyes, Loki was far better looking than Thor.

As I stood in silent shock while Loki - erm _prince_ Loki - waited for a reply, a wave of confidence waited over me.

"I am reading," I said at a normal volume and more confident tone. I stood up straighter and realised that he still towered over me. I was quite tall at 5"7 but he was most certainly over 6 foot, "quiet an interesting and exciting story as well."

The prince looked dumbfounded. I asked myself "where did that come from?" and I simply did not know the answer.

"You are a maid," he said simply. I didn't know how to respond.

"Was that an implied statement or question?"

"Maids don't read, they try and get out of this place as soon as they possibly can," he pointed out in the same tone.

"I'm not going to dignify the first part of that reply with an answer as I _do_ read, all the time. And I was sent to sweep the books as they were a little dusty but as a reward I thought I would treat myself to one of your excellent stories," I realised I was becoming a little too high and mighty for my position so I kept my mouth shut.

Loki POV

A maid who could read! I never thought that one existed, especially one with a temper as fiery as her hair.

"May I have that book?" I asked. She nodded in reply and kept her mouth shut. It looked like all her confidence had gone other than the sparkle in her eye that suggested she had a come back but was holding her tongue. She outstretched her hand holding the book and I took a step forward and took it. The title was in ancient norse and it must have been one of the first books in the library. I was impressed that she could actually understand what was going on.

"Excuse me, sir," she said curtsying, "I need to get back to my other duties." As she walked past me, I grabbed her arm. She spun round in shock.

"Tell your supervisors that Prince Loki wishes your company at the same time in the library next week," I said with a small smile, "I will send a housemaid to go fetchyou on the day but it is just so your superiors know in advance."

"It is not my place to ask, but why?" she asked uncertainly, "you do not even know my name."

"It is alright to ask. Intelligent and strong-willed company is hard to find," I replied smoothly, "before you go...What is your name?" She smiled and curtsied again.

"Grace, your highness," she said still smiling. She began to walk away and just before she had reached to door I called out across the library.

"Grace!" she spun round to look at me, "you forgot your book!" I tossed it to her and she caught the small leather bound book in both hands. She smiled once more and left the room.

Grace POV

I walked briskly to the kitchens, preparing to do all of the feast's dishes. Hiding the book in my skirts for if anyone saw it they would be asking questions. As I got closer to the kitchens I heard the clattering of pots and pans being dropped off. That was my evening sorted.

"GRACE!" I heard cooks voice screech. I rushed down to the kitchens to help, waiting eagerly to be next week.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Just a quick thank you to all those who have favourited and followed my story! Especially thank you to lederra who gave me my first review! If you could tell me the corrections to my spelling inaccuracies I would be very thankful. That's all. R&R and here's chapter 3.**

**Oh and DISCLAIMER: Blah, blah blah, don't own anything (sob) other than Grace**

Chapter 3: I'm not that sort of maid

A week passed quicker than I thought, I hadn't told cook or anyone about my encounter with prince Loki or our meeting that day. They probably would think I was having a laugh.

I was back on dish duty and only half way through it. All the staff in the house get a modest meal of scraps that fits on one plate while the royalty upstairs gets their glasses filled automatically and their plates freshly stocked as many times with the best food in Asgard. I would know. As batty as cook is she really lives up to her occupation.

"Grace, Prince Loki requests your presence in the library," one of the housemaids called.

"I'll be right there!" I called back, refusing to look anyone in the eye. I quickly brushed down my skirts and and made my way abruptly to library. I walked through the double doors and around one of the large wooden shelves housing at least a thousand books to find Loki reading beside the window. He looked up expectantly.

"I'm glad you remembered," he noted. His voice deep and as smooth as silk that would make any woman go weak at the knees.

"When you send a housemaid to fetch you on the day of the meeting, you can hardly forget," I replied jokingly. He replied with a grin but I could see he was holding back a chuckle, "I can remember stuff, especially when it comes to meeting with a prince. So next time, save me the embarrassment of a maid telling me I'm needed by you and suffering everyone's death glares, and just write me a note if you're worried that I'll forget." This time the chuckle could not be held back and the prince flew his head back laughing.

"No one has ever noticed me enough to challenge me in such a way," He said still laughing.

"It must be hard," I replied, "being in the background all the time."

"Yes and no. It comes in handy sometimes," he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. I walked over and sat on the windowsill facing him.

"I've heard rumours, all of the maids have, but what have you actually done?" I had gotten curious and it was obvious that he took pride in his mischief.

Loki POV

She actually wanted me to talk to her about all the stuff I had done. Granted, she was a maid and she has to follow what a superior tells her to do but she looked like she genuinely wanted to know.

"Well, I once dyed Thor's hair pink," I said suppressing a giggle as the memory flooded back to me, "Now, I was quite young-"

"That's not an excuse!" she interrupted.

"I'm going to ignore that statement and continue," I replied immediately, "and Thor stole something of mine, I can't quite remember what, and-"

"Can't remember or is it too embarrassing?" she asked.

"Not going to dignify that question with an answer and let me finish my story," I argued back.

"Ok, ok," she backed down putting her hands up as a surrender.

"Thank you," I grinned. she grinned back, "so I spent the rest of the day searching every magic book in this library for a suitable revenge, and I did. The shrieks from him the next morning were priceless!" I couldn't contain my laughter any more and neither could Grace. We both sat and laughed about all the weird and wonderful things that had happened in our childhood. Even though her family was a lot poorer, Grace got up to some fantastic revenge mostly against her rude neighbour. As the laughter died down we both realised how dark it had gotten.

"I'm going to have to go," she said gazing out the window. The soft, dim light made it look like her face had a dim, golden glow to it.

"You should serve around the table," I suggested.

"I'm not that sort of maid, sir," she replied back in maid mode.

"You like stories. Among the drunken nonsense there is often two or three stories worth listening to. At breakfast, not so much, but lunch and dinner are the best times to hear natural born storytellers in their element. It's not as quiet as a book but most certainly entertaining," I explained.

"Again, I must repeat that I'm not that sort of maid," she smiled.

"I'll see what I can do," I replied with a small smile. She curtsied politely and left the room leaving me alone but partially satisfied.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Just another thank you to guest Ana Paula for my second (and very lovely) review. And your wish is my command...Here's the fourth chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything (other than Grace)**

Chapter 4: Enjoying yourself?

Our meetings became more regular once I had managed to convince father to allow one more maid to join the mealtime service. I was thankful that my assumption was right - she did like the stories being told at the table. She also found the way different guests reacted to all the alcohol hilarious. She occasionally would forget herself and a small but still audible giggle would come out. I then covered up and as a thank-you, I would receive a small smile.

Just after another long dinner which consisted of drunk singing, many drinks spilling and wild tales of battle all of us were rushed out of the grand dining room and into the drawing room for some more conversation and drinks. I felt bad leaving Grace in that room to clean up our mess so I quietly slipped into the shadows and no one noticed I was gone.

Grace POV

I had survived another crazy dinner. I thought doing the dishes for those things was bad, try cleaning the floor up after! Volstagg alone had spilt nine and a half glasses of strong mead on the marble floor and guess who got to clean it all up. I suppose it was the price I paid to listen to the fantastic stories told by those at the dinner table. The best ones were normally before three quarters of the table were in a drunken stupor. I sighed gathering up pieces of whole food that had also been dropped, mostly fruit and vegetables but there were some pieces of meat and the occasional , and carried them on my skirt before I could dispose of them.

Next was my least favourite part of all. Getting on my hands and knees and scrubbing at a marble floor until I can see a perfect reflection. I picked up my wrecked wooden scrubbing brush and dunked it in the scalding hot soapy water knowing that by the time I had finished, the second bucket of hot water would be tepid. I rolled up my sleeves and began to scrub.

"Enjoying yourself?" Prince Loki's voice echoed off the large walls with a smirk in his voice.

"Not really," I replied turning round to face him. He was leaning against one of pillars, smiling. I noticed that when at the dinner table he rarely smiles, unless he's looking at me.

"What did you think of the conversation this evening?" Loki questioned.

"Well, it was certainly entertaining. The stories were good but not as good as Fandral staring at my ass most of the night and Volstagg smashing nine glasses all over the floor. Never has navigating over an already slippery ballroom floor been made that much trickier," I complained.

"Thor's friends are very much like him," Loki replied back bitterly.

"Stop laying false accusations. I didn't notice Thor trying to slap my butt or throw a cup at my feet," I replied climbing to my feet, "I get the reason you're not his biggest fan but no need to be overly bitter about it." I realised after it had come out of my mouth that I sounded like a mother scolding a young child.

"Well, you've certainly put me in my place," he replied smoothly.

"As fantastic as our lively conversations are, this not one job I cannot easily postpone," I said trying to make him go away so I could get my work done. Instead of giving me an answer he flicked his hand and nodded his head to something behind me.

"Done," he replied simply. The old, splintered scrubbing brush was dunking itself in the bucket and scrubbing the floor with no one guiding it.

"I...you...shouldn't do that," I said trying to form a proper sentence but my mind was blown at what was happening, "what if someone comes back?

"They won't," he demanded, grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the hall in one fluid motion, "now come on!"

Loki POV

I dragged the reluctant Grace through the palace's many winding corridors and out into the palace gardens. It was my second favourite place to go to think from the library.

"Oh. My. God."


	5. Author's note

**Author's Note: I apologise to all those who thought that this was going to be the next chapter. Sorry. I'm going camping for 12 nights in a place with no Wifi. I will not have my computer with me so I can't update my story. Sorry again and bare with, please for I WILL be back! And another quick thank you to all those who have favourited and followed and the amazing reviews I've been getting back about my story so far, I can't remember all your names but thank you, thank you, thank you. Those reviewing - you make me want to write more chapters. Keep it up.**

**LittleMissSherlock ;)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I'M BAAAAAACCCCCKKKKK! Thank you for being patient. I'm only just home but I did do some writing over my holiday and so I present chapter 5!**

Chapter 5: This is Paradise!

Grace POV

"Oh. My. God," I breathed. The garden was beautiful. An oasis from the frantic paces of maids and butlers and foul smelling air. It was like something out of a dream.

Nothing was out of place. Hats off to the gardeners. Every hedge was trimmed to perfection with no loose twigs sticking out. There were colour co-ordinated flowers, of all varieties, bunched neatly into small, well-rounded patches and lined with small shrubs.

"Do you like it?" Loki asked tentatively.

"Prince L-"

"Loki," he interrupted firmly.

"Sorry?"

"Just Loki," he sighed, "we are friends long enough that you can say my name without my title." I sighed.

"Loki," I took a hesitant breath to study his reaction. He just smiled in encouragement, "while I'm slaving away in a humid, steamy kitchen and cleaning up after you - you are here, in the prettiest garden I have ever seen! Surely, this is paradise itself!"

"This is my second favourite place in Asgard," he stated. My eyebrows reached the sky in question. He chuckled, "the library is my first."

"We are going to have to agree to disagree on this! As much as I love the quiet sanctuary of the library, it has nothing on the refreshing breeze, wide open space and stunning beauty of this place!" I exclaimed, borderline ranting, while simultaneously jumping in front of him, spreading my arms to full span and look up into the sky. I could hear the faint chuckling of Loki behind me.

Loki POV

As she stood in front of me in a stance, of what seemed to be, her way of enjoying the garden. I chuckled to myself. She was literally the most original, interesting, passionate, lively woman I had ever met.

"I can't believe you take this for granted!" She exclaimed as she turned around to face me which broke me out of my trance.

"What do you mean?"

"Prince -" I stopped her mid-sentence with a stern glare at her error, "sorry - Loki - you are in a place of beauty to the highest degree and all you do is stand there, with your arms crossed, looking at me as though I have two heads!"

"Am I not entitled to my own opinion," I replied coolly. This made her back down and think of what had exploded out of her mouth.

"Yes...yes, of course," she admitted sincerely, "sorry, Loki. I meant no offence. It sort of just came out. I waved it off and smiled. She had said my name without my title before and without encouragement.

"We must get back. I'm sure someone will walk into the ballroom and automatically assume you're a sorceress," I joked. It earned a giggle and a pout from Grace. She knew she had to go back but really didn't want to.

Reluctantly, she followed me back into the ballroom, where the enchanted cleaning equipment had finished most of the room. I bid her farewell and went immediately into my room, avoided Thor and his friends, to reflect on the events of the day.

Grace POV

After Loki said goodbye and left the room, the enchantment stopped. I was left to finish the work I was meant to do. I knew he was under a lot of pressure with (Thor's inevitable) coronation looming like a dark cloud overhead. I felt a pang of pity in my chest and an unknown, but still powerful, feeling in the pit of my stomach for him.

So as I scrubbed incessantly at the grime on the floor while my mind wandered to him and every essence of him, I realised that I had feelings for him that no servant should ever have for their master.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Good Luck

Because the coronation was only a week away, Loki and I hadn't spent as much time together as we usually do. He was always away with armour fittings and rehearsals, constantly surrounded by an entourage of man-servants and some royal advisor babbling in his ear about the ceremony.

It wasn't as though I was just sitting around, observing and being idle. Oh no. The entire household staff are in a complete frenzy. Cook was slowly but surely going insane and my job, other than cleaning dishes and scrubbing floors, was to keep her head from exploding. It was no easy task.

5 days till coronation. It had started off just as every other recent day. As soon as the royal family awoke, every maid, man-servant and butler became immediately panicked.

By late morning, cook had given me a migraine from her continuous, stressed out dialogue about portion sizes and number of courses. I was practically begging to get out of there and then my next task came through the chain of housemaids. I was required to sweep the library again. I breathed out a sigh of relief and was out the door before cook could say "coronation".

Loki POV

The coronation was 5 days away and I was not looking forward to it at all. Despite the face everyone knew Thor was going to get the title, because everyone wanted Thor to get the title, they still pretended that I might still get it! It was during this week that I missed Grace's company more than ever. She was never afraid to point out the obvious or challenge me and that's what I missed the most.

After seeing my new, recently polished armour in the late morning, very close to noon, I decided to take a trip into the library to hide from everyone. I needed to be by myself if I couldn't spend time with Grace. She was probably rushing around sweeping floors and polishing armour.

I made my way into the library only to hear very familiar, faint humming. I strode around the large shelves to find Grace, with her duster, brushing cobwebs and dust off the books.

"I didn't realise you had impeccable timing on your list of qualities?" My voice rang through the silence. Grace jumped a foot in the air before turning round to face me with a blinding smile on her face.

"Are you without your entourage?" She asked dramatically peering around me to see if there was anyone else behind me.

"Yes, I made them disappear," I laughed. She replied with a loud, hysterical laugh. I waved her over to our window, "I, Loki, second prince of Asgard, relieve you of your duty to come and talk." She rolled her eyes and leant against the wall, facing me.

"It has been hectic. Probably worse than your experience so far! I had to clean you and your brother's ceremonial armour and helmets yesterday."

"That's why it was so shiny!"

"Well, of course! I assumed the winged helmet was Thor's and the ridiculous cow hat is yours. Trust Odin to make you look worse," she said bitterly.

"Cow hat?" I asked.

"Yes the ridiculous horned helmet," she replied bluntly. I raised an eyebrow.

"For your information, I look incredibly dashing in that hat," I boasted jokingly.

"Really?"

"Well, I think I do," I admitted, "ok, maybe just in my imagination."

"It would take an incredibly large imagination to make anyone think they look good in that hat."

"The cow hat," I sighed.

"The cow hat," she confirmed before bursting out in a fit of giggles. I joined her after a few seconds, throwing my head back with roaring laughter.

Our laughter eventually died down to satisfied sighs. She smiled out the window then brought something out of her skirts. It was a small leather bound book.

"I do believe this belongs to you," she said as she handed me the book. It was the book I gave to her on the first day we met. I was speechless. She remembered it.

"H...how," I sounded like a babbling idiot. The emotional significance of that book, "did you find it?"

"Very good. Not as good as Hogun's drunken singing though!" She chuckled. I laughed with her. She turned to face out the window, deep in thought. I lay my had on her's.

"Grace?" I asked tentatively. She turned back to face me. Her large blue eyes burning straight into my emerald green ones. She looked, almost, troubled.

"I know that it will be hard for you. Your brother getting the title, you being in the shadows even more, know that I'm here and I think you should have as much of a chance in my eyes," she whispered so lightly, it was barely audible. Her eyes showed complete sincerity as her hand shifted under mine to hold it.

"Thank you," I breathed back. She moved her head to my right ear.

"Good luck," she whispered into my ear before leaving a tender kiss on my cheek and walking out of the room. I was left in a stunned silence as her kiss had set my cheek on fire.

Grace POV

As I walked back to the crowded kitchen, I was on a cloud. I just gave a prince a kiss and he did not immediately slap me or throw me in a dungeon. Admittedly, I didn't really give him a chance to react before I left. As my mind was buzzing with the recent event in the library, I didn't notice cook's yapping for the rest of the afternoon.

Third person's POV

Odin had just finished having a long talk with Thor about the coronation and it was time to talk to Loki. However, there was a small problem. He had no idea where Loki was. He went to Frigga as she was a lot closer with his second son.

"He'll, probably, be in the library," she suggested, "he likes to spend his time there."

Odin never understood Loki's fascination with books. He wanted him to be like Thor, a strong, bold warrior. Sadly, that never happened. He made his way down the long hallway to the library. He could hear faint voices in it.

He opened the large wooden door an inch so he could see who was in there. He could see Loki talking to a young woman in a maid's uniform.

"...trust Odin to make you look worse," the maid said bitterly. Odin clenched his fist. How dare a maid talk to a prince about his father like that but, surprisingly, Loki did not defend him. In fact he changed the subject onto the subject of his helmet. Obviously him and this maid were very close as they began to laugh loudly. Loki's distinct laugh with a loud girlish cackle. The laughter subsided after a couple of minutes and then the maid opened her mouth again.

"I do believe this belongs to you," she said calmly, giving a small, dark object to Loki.

"H...how," Loki stuttered. Odin's blood began to boil with fury. His son, reduced to a stammering idiot by a maid!

"...not as good as Hogun's drunken singing though!" She joked again and as another chorus of laughter burst out Odin realised where he had seen her face a shiny red hair. She was a maid that served during mealtimes, the new one Loki insisted in bringing to serve. This enraged Odin so much that he nearly broke down the doors and confront them. But he decided to wait and confront the maid later, separately.

"Grace?" Loki asked. And now Odin had a name. Grace.

Odin took a step back from the door to figure out what he was going to do until the voices became hushed. He rushed to the door and witnessed something that made anger rush through his system at break-neck speed.

"Good luck," she whispered in his ear as she kissed him on the cheek. Odin was overwhelmed with rage and as she walked towards the door, he bounced back. He hid behind the door as she walked out of the library and back down another corridor, probably to where she should be.

Shortly after an overwhelmed Loki came out and went down another corridor. Odin breathed a sigh of relief.

"At least he didn't follow her," he said to himself once Loki was out of earshot.

As soon as Loki was out of sight, Odin still needed to talk to him, not about what he had just witnessed, but about the coronation. He would speak to maid that evening.

"Loki!" He called as he reached the same corridor Loki was in.

**Author's Note: A longer chapter for you all and things are about to get interesting. Keep reading, following, favouriting and reviewing as I would love some more feedback. **


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: a surprise summoning

Grace POV

My good mood from talking to Loki had not vanished while I got on with my day. It had even survived cook's incessant, stressed out yapping.

I had managed to get all my chores finished before it began to get dark. So I sat in the kitchen snacking on a scrap bread roll, left over from dinner.

During dinner Loki kept sneaking glances at me. Some were persuading, trying to challenge me to speak out against some of the atrocious grammar the warriors three were using. Instead I shot a defiant glare and that seemed to make him stop. Another strange thing at dinner was that Odin was also occasionally looking at me but with a more authoritative and cautious glare, with his one eye, that sent shivers deep down my spine.

As I mulled over all the current and older interactions between Loki and I and the upcoming coronation, that annoying yet unknown feeling in the pit of my stomach returned.

I finished the last bite in my roll and licked the remaining crumbs off my fingers one by one. I was in a relaxing state until Oliviana, one of the ladies-maids, hurried in a panicked state.

"'Liv, what's going on?" I asked, concerned with her panicked expression and rushed entrance. It was rare to have a ladies-maid this deep in the kitchens,"is it another annoying request? Have one of the royals mistreated you?" I questioned rushing towards her as she trembled. She was an extremely gentle soul and got upset easily.

"It is nothing to do with me," she replied slowly as she pushed her chestnut-brown fringe away from her knowledgable, wide, brown eyes, "the All-father requests you're presence in the throne room, immediately."

"You're sure he means me?" I asked slowly. I took deep breaths to steady myself. I was overwhelmed.

"Certain. What have you done?" She asked and, deep down, I knew the answer - Loki. But ignoring the powerful sense of dread making me feel sick in my stomach I lied to make her feel better.

"I have no idea!" I lied fluidly and she seemed to believe me.

"Well you better go and be careful," she warned. I replied with a tight smile and gave her a playful nudge before I sprinted towards the throne room.

Adrenaline coursed around my system as I ran down the eerily, and strangely, empty corridors while millions of questions swam through my mind. How did he find out? What is he going to do with me? What does he think I was doing with his son? How long has he known?

I had reached the grand, gold doors of the throne room. I had never been in it, not even to clean it! I brushed down my dusty and ragged skirts with my hands. My musty, supposed-to-be chocolate brown apron was covered in flour and other coloured stains. My long red hair was still in a long, tight braid down my back. I took a deep breath and pushed open the doors.

**Author's Note: I know...CLIFFHANGER!**

**I forgot to do this the past couple of updates so: DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: But, sir!

Third person POV

Odin had talked with Loki about the coronation but his thoughts, as he was talking to his second son, were of the maid talking out of place to a superior. A prince of Asgard no less! But he clenched his fist and resisted telling Loki off as it would be a disaster. He wanted her to be gone quietly, away from the palace with no chance of ever coming back. After the slightly awkward meeting, he had sent one of his wife's ladies-maids to go fetch her.

"Probably laughing in the dirty kitchens about how she reduced my son to a stammering mess," he muttered bitterly. He could hear the faint tapping of footsteps slowly getting louder. She was coming. He pulled his posture up to make it known that he was the authority here. With his one eye he stared at the large golden doors at the other end of the large, echoing hall. Then, they were pushed open and a small figure walked into the view of his one eye.

Grace POV

I walked briskly to about three quarters of the large throne room. I reached a good spot right in the centre of his sight and swept down into a low curtsy. I took a deep breath and steadied myself.

"You wished to see me, your majesty?" my voice had gained an octave in nerves. "Stay strong, Grace, Stay strong" I told myself.

"Yes," he replied authoritatively, his voice echoing off the walls, making him seem more powerful. I took a deep breath, waiting to hear the dreaded accusation and punishment, "you have been spotted conversing outside you social class. You are a maid and yet you see yourself fit to talk to my son!" he spat.

"I know that it is not my place to talk to your son but he asked me to come and keep him company, if you ask him, he will back up my story," I replied loudly and calmly. I was determined to not let my temper get the better of me.

"How dare you!" he boomed, "How dare you come in here and suggest that my son would wish to converse with you! A simple maid with no prospects or family! You are not fit for my son to wipe his feet on!" The last statement about my family hit home. It was true, I had none. They had all died in a rogue frost giant attack, my younger brother included.

"If I am correct, sir, that is what I am here to do!" my sarcasm and temper had appeared to cover the wound he had just inflicted upon me, "all the maids and man-servants are here to pick and clean up after you while you sit and remain, mostly, idle!" After I said those words, I realised that I could not take them back.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" he yelled. I inhaled a sharp breath. His voice became calm. Deadly calm, "you listen here and you listen well. You do not deserve what we have given you. And yet you come and exploit it! Are you lovers?" His voice became panicked.

"Why do you ask such a thing?!"

"Are you trying to seduce him into letting you become one of our elite family?! IS IT FOR MONEY!"

"NO, SIR!" I shouted back. My blood was boiling with fury and anger, "and how DARE you ask a lady such a thing!"

"YOU ARE NOT A LADY! FOR IF YOU WERE, I MAY APPROVE OF YOU AND LOKI! A LADY OF A GOOD FAMILY AN SOCIAL STATUS IS WHAT HE NEEDS, NOT SOME SLUT WORMING HER WAY UNDER HIS SKIN WITH LIES!" He got off his throne and started marching towards me.

"Considering that you have insulted and humiliated me through any means possible and misunderstanding everything that I have said, I will say it clearly so you can not twist my words. My relationship with your son is nothing that you have assumed-"

"A relationship?"

"It is simply a friendship, sir, nothing more." I said firmly. I told myself to stand strong however, it took all of my self control not to raise my fist and personally knock some sense into him.

"I will repeat myself, for you have not seemed to grasp what I am ordering. You are not fit for my son to wipe his feet on. You are not his friend, you are a maid," he sneered. We were now facing each other. Me in my ragged maid's uniform compared with his golden armour.

"You are underestimating me again sir, and I will not-"

"ENOUGH!" he yelled, stopping me mid-sentence, "considering the several lines you do not seem to mind crossing. I am doing what is best for Loki. Grace you are now banished from the realm of Asgard-"

"But, SIR-"

"- for conversing in secret with a prince of Asgard, showing no respect for the higher class and your employer and showing no decorum and little consideration for the etiquette and rules of a maid in the royal household of Asguard. Therefore you will be sent through the bifrost to another realm to live out your days in exile. And just to be sure you don't try a way to get back, your memory of this place and all the events in it will be wiped-"

"Please, sir, do not do this!"

"-from your mind." he finished. My memory was going to be erased. Everything about Asgard.

"You do not care for Loki!" I shouted at him as he turned his back and two guards came and grabbed onto my arms, "he is alone! You never cared for him! Only ever for Thor!"

"GET RID OF HER!" he ordered, not turning around to face me!

The two armed guards took me to Heimdall, the gatekeeper. I stood tall, refusing to let myself get dragged. He put a small metal bracelet around my wrist. It was enchanted. The metal was cool against my skin. It was the device to wipe my memory. I clung onto Loki, but everything else started to slip away. Heimdall thrust his key into the hole to start up the bifrost. Lightning spread and almost blinded me.

More and more memories began to slip away. The library...did the palace have a library?

The guards handed me over to Heimdall who walked me to the edge. I looked up at his golden eyes. They were sympathetic and then he pushed me forward...

...Memories of cook started to fade...who was cook...

I kept falling and falling...

...That day in the palace gardens with...with...

Just falling farther and farther...

The last thing I remembered was the image of a pair of fascinating emerald green eyes staring back at me...

Author's Note: DO NOT HATE ME! THIS IS NOT THE END. REVIEW, FAVOURITE, FOLLOW AND THEN YOU MIGHT JUST FIND OUT...

DISCLAIMER!I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: How could you!

Loki POV

It was only a few more days left until (Thor's) coronation. And it had been a day since I had had that interesting talk with Grace. She may have been a maid but she had, genuinely, wanted to talk with me while simultaneously challenging me. Even though it had just been a day, I had an unusual feeling in my stomach and it wasn't hunger.

I arrived down for breakfast to find mother, father, Thor, Lady Sif and the warriors three already seated at the table for breakfast. It was the usual subdued silence that would only last until lunchtime as their headaches from last night's drinking would be gone and they would be ready to do it all over again this evening. I sat down in my usual seat and my usual breakfast of toasted bread and fruit, was placed in front of me. I looked up expecting to see the smiling, confidant face of Grace, but it wasn't.

This set into a motion of worrying thoughts passing through my head. Worst case scenario: she was dead. But I immediately shook that option from my thoughts as Grace wouldn't go down without a fight and it is often very unlikely she loses a fight. Best case scenario: she slept in or had to cover a different duty for another maid.

"You look troubled this morning, Loki, is anything the matter?" mother asked politely. She always had the best interests at heart but didn't realise I didn't want to talk about it.

"No. Nothing at all," I lied fluidly. She must've believed me or decided to leave it alone as she immediately went straight back to her food. I looked around to all the others at the breakfast table.

Fandrall; eyeing up a maid while switching his glance to another's butt, Sif; sipping some sort of vile liquid (judging by her facial expressions) and trying to grab Thor's attention, Hogun; stuffing his place with fruit and then cutting them into different shapes with his knife, Volstagg; head on his plate and snoring, Thor; rubbing his temples and eating slice after slice of bread, mother; eating her breakfast and trying to get father's attention, and father; looking at me with more scrutiny in his gaze than usual.

I shook off any reasons father was judging me harsher than usual and went back to my breakfast, claiming that it was just my imagination.

By lunchtime and the hours in between it and breakfast, I went in search of Grace but could not find her anywhere. When she didn't show up for lunchtime service my thoughts about her disappearance went from bad to worse. After another meal of father's scrutinising glances and much louder conversation I felt I should go where she used to spend her time.

The route to the palace kitchens was not unknown, just untravelled by most members of the royal family. My curiosity levels started to rise as I saw more and more maids with tear-streaked faces and puffy eyes. When I reached the kitchen, where most of the staff were in tears and there was no Grace to be seen, my stomach lurched. One maid realised who I was, gasped, and set the entire kitchen into a tear wiping and curtsying frenzy.

"Thank you, I'm just wondering if I could speak to cook," I said looking a the small plump woman who looked like she had been crying more and longer than the rest, "in private." And with those two words, all the maids and assistant cooks dispersed leaving me alone with cook.

"Is it a complaint about the meal, sir, 'cause I swear I'll make something better, it's just I've not had the best mornin', sir," she sobbed. I walked over and put my hands on her shoulders to try and calm her down.

"No, no, no. The food has been as spectacular as always," I replied. It seemed to cheer her up considerably, "I'm here inquiring about one of your helpers. Grace. She didn't show up for either of the mealtime services and I wondered if something was wrong." Cook burst back out in loud sobs.

"You didn't hear, did you," cook sniffed, "Grace is dead. Some sort of accident last night. None of us know the details but we were all informed early this morning."

My world collapsed into darkness right there. Dead. Gone forever. Happened last night. I took in a sharp breath. My head felt heavy. I was beginning to feel nauseous. Grace was dead. I leaned against a bench and took a couple of deep breaths. The only one I could confide in. Gone.

"Thank you. I shall need another maid to take her place at dinner service," my voice cracked.

"Yes, of course, sir," she said abruptly, "I'll do that right away. Do you want to choose, sir?"

"No." I walked out of there feeling out of breath and sick in my stomach.

"Prince Loki?" A small voice said behind me. I turned around to find a small woman, with dark hair and sympathetic eyes.

"My name is Oliviana. I'm one of your mother's ladies maids," she introduced.

"I'm sorry but I'm not in the mood to talk-"

"I was the last person to see Grace," she interrupted. My eyes widened, "I was ordered to fetch her...for your father. That was the last time anyone...saw her. They said that she died of an accident this morning, but I know that whatever she had done wrong...to the King...was the reason she is...dead."

Anger raged through my system. Setting my blood alight with fury and rage. My father executed! He must have found out somehow and completely misunderstood! he probably never let her have a chance to explain or defend herself.

"Thank you, Oliviana," I said through gritted teeth, "you are dismissed." She curtsied and scurried past me. I had to find father and ask him to explain what he did. He would probably be in the throne room. Alone.

I walked briskly past maids and guards. I even ignored Thor and his friends who were trying to distract me. But it didn't work. I just continued on my path and my thoughts on what I was going to ask my father.

I reached the golden doors and her face filled my head and I opened them.

"HOW COULD YOU!" I shouted in anger as I saw him sitting, smugly on his throne, "WHAT HAD SHE _EVER_ DONE TO YOU!" I walked briskly right up to the steps and awaited his answer.

"I did what was best for you," he replied slowly. What was best for me? What sort of answer was that.

"WHAT WAS BEST FOR ME!" I yelled, " YOU WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS BEST FOR ME! YOU SPEND YOUR DAYS THINKING WHAT IS BEST FOR THOR!"

"THAT IS NOT TRUE!" He shouted back.

"Yes, it is!" I hissed. My voice like venom, "What. Did. You. Do."

"What had to be done," he replied bluntly, getting off his throne.

"What had to be done? Killing an innocent woman was 'what had to be done?"

"For your sake, Loki, yes," he replied calmly walking down the steps to join me at my level, "I only want what is best for you."

"What's best for me, my ass! Father!" I spat the last word, "_Grace_ was the only one who _cared_ what I though, who _wanted_ to listen to me!"

"SHE ONLY LISTENED SO SHE COULD GET A BIGGER PRIZE, LOKI!" he boomed.

"ARE YOU SUGGESTING SHE WAS TRYING TO SEDUCE ME?!" I yelled back. Father did not need to reply. I already knew the answer, "NO! YOU DID NOT WANT HER AROUND BECAUSE SHE GAVE ME HOPE!"

"Loki, you are my son," he sighed, trying to calm me down, "I only did what I did to protect you. I am your father. I would do nothing, intentionally, to hurt you."

"My father you may be, but only by blood," I spat at him and walked away. I walked briskly to my chambers, locked the door, closed the curtains and let out all the floods of tears I had held since I heard the news.

**Author's note: A really sad chapter, I know, and updated quite late but , I promise things will get better and it is not the end. **


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Patient X

Grace POV

I woke up with a splitting headache. I was covered in darkness. No, my eyes were closed. I opened my sticky eyelids to a bright-white light. The light blinded my vision for a couple of seconds before it cleared to show me where I was. I was in a small, visibly bricked room. The bricks were painted white. Everything was white. I was dressed in a white, long-sleeved t-shirt, white jogging bottoms and white socks. No shoes. The bed I was sitting on, white sheets, painted white frame, white pillow. The only thing in the entire room that wasn't white was the tinted looking glass at the opposite end. I looked at my reflection. My hair, no, it wasn't white. It was a bold, contrasting red. It was neatly tied up. I don't remember tying it up. I don't remember. What do I remember?

My name...it started with a...G...Gina...no...ummm...Gr...Gronia, no!...Grace. Yes. My name is Grace. No known other names.

My age...not a child...not an elder judging by my looks. I touched my skin. Smooth, no wrinkles...not old. Possibly young adult.

Parents...none...dead, when I was an adolescent.

Siblings...used to have a brother...dead.

Birthplace...nothing.

Memories growing up...none.

I got up from where I was sitting and started to walk. My legs felt a bit wobbly, like they couldn't take my weight. But after a few steps they were ok. I hugged myself as I gave the looking glass some further inspection. I had blue eyes. I turned back to the bed. Beside it was a small and - surprise, surprise - white chest of drawers. On top sat a couple of books. Books. For reading. I like to read when I wasn't...when I wasn't...I can't remember.

Friends...I can't remember.

Colours...red, orange, yellow, green...green...I like green, no...someone I knew liked green...green eyes.

I took another walk-a-bout around the room and settled back on the bed with a book. _"The adventures of Sherlock Holmes"._

Agent Phil Coulson POV

I was called back to the surveillance room. I walked into the small, cramped room to find my boss, Director Nick Fury, already there.

"Patient X is up," he stated calmly and simply. I walked further into the room and stood at attention beside him. I looked through the tinted glass at the young woman we had found a couple of days ago at the centre of a crater in the middle of a deforestation field in the Amazon. Our team had cleaned her, dressed her and taken some DNA to find out who she was. Nothing came up. She did not exist. This was our speciality.

"Who ever she is," said the other person in the room, the doctor who performed the tests, "she isn't from Earth." Patient X was up on her feet now. She was a bit wobbly for the first couple of steps but that was expected as she had fallen out of the sky a few days ago and has been unconscious ever since. Until now. She walked up to what was a mirror on her side of the glass. She looked into it. Almost like she was studying it. She turned away, did another lap of the room before sitting on the bed and picking up one of the books we had left.

"Well if she isn't human and she's up, I think we should ask her," Director Fury subtly ordered me. I walked forward to the microphone.

"What is your name?" I asked slowly and clearly. Patient X jumped, set down the book and wandered into the middle of her small cell.

"Who are you?" she asked spinning around, looking for where my voice was coming from. She had a smooth voice with a distinct, well-pronounced British accent, "What do you want with me?"

I sighed stepping away from the microphone, "It's better if I do this face to face." Director Fury gave a nod of approval. I walked out of the small surveillance room and went to the door beside it. I pulled out my access pass and swiped it in the receiver. The light on the lock turned from red to green and the door clicked and hissed in approval as it slowly opened. I walked in to meet the mysterious girl. She spun around in shock to face me. Her blue eyes wide with horror.

"Relax," I soothed, "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to ask you some questions. Please have a seat." She nodded slowly and walked over, tentatively to sit on the bed. I walked over and sat beside her, "My name is agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. A special oragnisation. What's your name?"

It was a short silence before she spoke. Quietly and with caution she said, "Grace. My name is Grace."

"It's nice to meet you Grace," I sighed, "do you have a last name?" She shook her head vigourously.

"No. Not that I can remember, anyway."

"Ok. Where do you come from, Grace?"

"I. Don't know," she replied distressed. She genuinely couldn't remember an she was searching for the answer, "I don't remember, Mr Coulson."

"Judging by your accent, I'd say you're from London," I suggested, hoping it would spark a memory. She returned with a confused look.

"What's a London?" she asked. I sighed. It was going to be a long interview.

**Author's Note: I told you it was not the end. Do not worry. I had so much fun writing this chapter.**


	12. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Sorry for the late update, I was away from the house without my laptop from early morning.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this**

Chapter 11: Not the face of an Asgardian

Loki POV

When I finally came out of my room, I couldn't remember how long it had been. I had been informed later by mother that I was in there for a day and a half. And although she didn't realise, it was important. It gave me a chance to gloss over every moment we had together, including the painful memory of the last time I saw her. Her kiss for good luck. I looked down at the small leather-bound book of tales she was reading on the first day we met.

I walked briskly to the library, avoiding all eye contact and sat in the place where we used to meet up. The last place I saw her...

_"Grace?" I asked tentatively. She turned back to face me. Her large blue eyes burning straight into my emerald green ones. She looked, almost, troubled._

_"I know that it will be hard for you. Your brother getting the title, you being in the shadows even more, know that I'm here and I think you should have as much of a chance in my eyes," she whispered so lightly, it was barely audible. Her eyes showed complete sincerity as her hand shifted under mine to hold it._

_"Thank you," I breathed back. She moved her head to my right ear._

_"Good luck," she whispered into my ear before leaving a tender kiss on my cheek..._

She wanted me to be a leader. I was worthy of being a leader! I would do it for her. In her memory.

With the book still in my hands I rushed out of the library and into the weapons vault. The slanted stone walls showed a clear, paved path to the Jotun's Casket. Glowing the Jotun's signature icy blue with the shining silver edges. I walked down the aisle without giving the other relics and glance and looked down on the casket. I touched it, just for a second. Then my skin started to change colour. I became panicked, wondering what was happening to me.

My skin was turning a Jotun blue! I thought my arm was going to freeze off, but it didn't. In fact, I didn't feel a thing. The blue began to spread throughout my body, starting with my other arm. I was confused now. Instead of freezing, I was fine. My arms were now completely blue with delicately - almost carved - patterns spread. I turned to look at my reflection in one of the other relics.

My eyes' signature green iris was replaced by a burning crimson with no pupils. This was not the face of an Asgardian, but a Jotun, a frost giant, the monster mother's told their children about.

I had once said to my father that he was only my father by blood. It turns out, that wasn't even true. The only person I could ever be confident about who I was and who would listen to me, was gone. Father, no, _Odin,_ had her executed!

As I gazed at my reflection, the icy blue began to fade and the peachy skin I was used to was back. My green eyes had returned and I looked like a normal Asgardian again.

In that moment I knew what I had to do. Odin would pay for the years of lies he had fed me, having the closest person in my life killed and the long favouritism of his only blood son.

**Author's Note: and so it all starts...**


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Agent Holmes?

Agent Phil Coulson POV

After a couple of weeks of interviews and talks with patient X - Grace. Unlike other unknown personnel, I didn't learn as much as I normally do. Most of her memories had been completely erased. She was either a master spy and talented liar or someone really knew what they were doing when they wiped her memories. A couple of things had triggered some new memories but it wasn't very often.

I had learned that her name was Grace and she never knew her surname or never had one. She had parents and a younger brother but they died in a tragic accident (she couldn't remember the details), and she loved to read. It was almost a gift really. Everyday she would ask for a different set of books and once she had read it she understood and remembered it. She was now a master in law, philosophy, programming computers and televisions and plumbing. She was also slowly but surely working her way through the New Oxford English dictionary and several volumes of encyclopaedias. Her particular favourites were fiction books, especially the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books. Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson.

"Agent Coulson? Director Fury needs you right away, it's urgent," another S.H.I.E.L.D agent's voice ordered through my earpiece. I was sitting in one of the organisation's interrogation rooms talking with patient - Grace.

I looked back across the table to the confused red head and gave her a small, tight smile.

"I'll be back in a minute," I said calmly. She gave a single nod in reply. I left her in the room, alone. I wasn't worried though, like I normally was in usual cases. But I knew she wasn't going to escape. This meeting I left her a martial arts instruction book and she was already beginning to flick through the pages as I was talking to her.

I walked down the long corridors to Director Nick Fury's office. I placed my hand on the cool screen as it scanned my hand print and flashed green to signal my access as the door hissed and clicked as it opened. The colour green was the other thing that cropped up in most of our conversations. Grace keeps remember green eyes but does not seem to remember who they belong to.

"Thank you for coming Agent Coulson," Director Fury started. He was in his signature long, black, leather coat and facing the the out the window in his office with his back to me.

"You make it sound like I had a choice," I joked in reply. It earned a small chuckle from him but not that much.

"How is...Grace doing?" he asked, choosing his words wisely as I had already reminded him several times that her name is Grace and not Patient X.

"She is doing well. I've started a small...experiment with her," I said, being careful about what I say. Fury spun round, his one eye glaring at me.

"What sort of experiment?" he asked accusingly.

"You've seen the ability she has after reading something so I thought I would...test it out," I replied calmly.

"In what way?" he interrogated.

"I left her a book in martial arts and wanted to take her into the training centre with a couple of our other agents and see how she fairs."

"Sounds...interesting. I will dismiss the fact that you kept this from me and did it on your own accord. All the responsibility will be on you, however."

"That's fine."

"OK. So you think she has the potential to become an agent?"

"One of the best. Plus, she has no ties to prevent her from joining. It will be the only life she will know. Aren't those the perfect candidates," I persuaded. Fury thought for a minute before replying.

"You make a good point."

Grace POV

Agent Coulson had left me a couple of curious books for me this time. He told me I would find them very informative. _"student to sensei, martial arts handbook", "the technique of learning off languages" _and a French to English dictionary. There was a sticky note on the dictionary:

"_Read this one after the technique of learning languages"_

It was in a scrawly cursive and signed "_Agent Coulson_" in the bottom right corner. I decided to read the martial arts book first. On the first page was a definition: Martial Arts: noun; Various sports or skills, mainly of Japanese origin, that originated as forms of self-defence or attack, such as judo, karate, and kendo.

It sounded curious so I read on. There were pictures in this book. Showing off simple defensive and offensive moves. I kept reading, occasionally looking at the picture to see what the instructions are telling me what to do. The chapters were labelled in jiu jitsu belts. I learned jiu jitsu was a form of Japanese martial art and the student's skill was measure in different coloured belts. On every page there was different moves from jiu jitsu, kung fu and taekwondo. My mind soaked up the information like a sponge and was hungry for more information. I tried to satisfy the hunger by reading every detail quicker. As I got further and further through the book the moves became more advanced, using weapons and surroundings to your advantage.

By the time Agent Coulson returned I was halfway through the book and he seemed impressed. He sat down on the opposite side of the table, facing me, like he did before. He had a small smile plastered on his face.

"What's going on?" I asked tentatively. His smile just got wider, showing some white, polished teeth.

"How would you like to join S.H.I.E.L.D and make some proper memories?" he asked. It was a no-brainer. It was my chance to start fresh. I could make new memories instead of trying to grasp at the ones that were, practically, long gone.

"Yes," I said firmly, "I would love to become an agent."

"Excellent," he replied simply, "Now, there has been a situation in New Mexico. A hammer has dropped out of a freak storm and I'm being sent over there to investigate. Agents Barton and Romanov will take care of you agent-"

"Holmes!" I interrupted.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"When an agent joins the agency and does not have a surname, that same agent can pick their own name. And I wish to be Grace _Holmes _after the main character in the first books you gave me."

"Well then, _agent Holmes_. I will see you when I get back." He said his goodbye and left. I sat there, waiting to be transferred when a tall, slim, red headed woman entered the room. She was very curvy and wore a tight fitting catsuit that accentuated the curves. She spoke with an American accent.

"Grace Holmes? My name is Agent Natasha Romanov. I need to come with me."

**Author's Note: I will now be updating every other day. sorry this one is a little bit late but enjoy, r&r and...**

**...DISCLAIMER! I do not own any of these characters**


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: My rightful place

Loki POV

My plan had worked! Thor's true character had been shown to my father and he had been banished to Midguard to live his days with mortals. I scoffed and thought of fa - no - had finally told me the truth after years and years of lying. I was now king. At my rightful place. Where Grace always saw me.

I walked onto the balcony overlooking Asgard and tried to prevent tears from falling. I felt a hand on my back. I turned around to find my mother. I still thought of her as such. She was like Grace. She believed in me. This is my rightful place.

"Is something wrong, my son?" she asked. Her face covered with motherly concern.

"That's the thing. I am not your son-"

"Hush! You are my son. Blood or not," she interrupted. I gave her a small smile at her attempt to cheer me up, "What is really wrong?"

For a couple of seconds of hesitation I thought I should spill everything. Grace, her execuction and my past feelings for her. But then I realised...I was Jotun. She did not care for me. I was the creature she taught me to be afraid of. I knew I would not be afraid for Grace. She saw me above everyone else. And that is where I belong. I had to prove to them all; mother, Thor, Odin, all of Asgard, that I was worthy of being king and that my time in the shadows was over. Everyone was beneath me.

"No, not at all," I lied and walked away. Leaving her stranded on the empty balcony.

Frigga POV

I looked at the view over Asgard. Loki was a skilled liar but I could still tell when he did lie. Something had happened to him. His heart had suffered a freezing blow and turned it to cold, hard stone. It wasn't just his true parentage. There was something else.

I thought back to just before Loki hid himself in his room, there were a lot of crying maids that day? No, that couldn't be it. I thought long and hard until dinner and then I decided to abandon the thoughts.

I knew, in the pit of my stomach, that whatever was wrong with Loki, was going to change everything.

**Author's Note: Yes a double upload, enjoy!**


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: That is impressive

Grace POV

Agent Romanov lead me through several winding corridors, passing several male agents who all gave me the same curious look. I followed Agent Romanov until we reached a locker room. It was eerily empty. I sat on one of the benches, reading the tail end of the martial arts book. Agent Coulson was right; I did find it very informative.

Agent Romanov eyed me in the same curious manner as the other agents did while en route and set clothes on beside me. Apparently where I was going, I did not need the white uniform. I looked at the garments. There was a tight sports bra, fresh underwear and three-quarter-length training bottoms. I took off my old clothes and set them in a separate pile before replacing them with my new outfit. I turned to find agent Romanov in a similar outfit. Her toned abs looked like an ice-cube mould and her legs were just as muscular.

I was not the same. I was not fat and slightly toned in my middle. I do not remember how that came about but I'm just going to say genetics. My torso was framed at the top with a black sports bra, showing my cleavage a little too much for my liking and at the bottom with the waistband of my training bottoms just below my navel*.

Natasha Romanov POV

I looked at the new recruit in the S.H.I.E.L.D training clothes I provided for her. She had a semi-toned torso and muscular legs. Whatever she was doing before she lost her memory kept her in good shape.

"Agent Romanov, what are we going to do?" she asked. She had a distinct British accent which was going to make her stand out in this place. Her amnesia didn't help either.

"Training, agent Holmes," I replied smoothly, "all agents need physical training and that's why I'm here. I'm going to teach you body combat." She nodded in reply and I lead her out into the training centre.

Grace POV

As she lead me out to a large hall, I realised agent Coulson's trick. He had given me a martial arts/body combat book just before I was taken away to do body combat and martial arts training!

The training centre itself was the best. No expense spared. There were many stations. Knife throwing, fencing, weight lifting, archery, shooting range and in the centre, a large matted area for combat. Agent Romanov walked in front of me and walked up to a man in a male eqivolent S.H.I.E.L.D training outfit. He was dressed in a black polo neck shirt and full length training bottoms. He had also had a quiver of arrows slung over his back and a high-tech bow in his hand.

"Agent Holmes, this is agent Barton," Agent Romanov introduced waving her had to the man with the bow beside her, "Barton, this is Coulson's new recruit."

The man known as agent Barton showed recognition at Agent Coulson's name being mentioned. I looked around the room as they turned their backs on me for a private conversation. I didn't mind. There was a viewing gallery on one of the walls and just a single man in it. He had dark skin and an eye patch. He was looking directly at me with his one eye. He was dressed in black and wore a leather overcoat. He stood at with his hands behind his back and he looked like a figure of authority. I continued to look around until a statement from agent Barton caught my attention.

"...Coulson must be crazy. She is _not_ agent material," Barton said. I clenched my fist and turned around to find another male S.H.I.E.L.D agent. He had a perverted smile and a lanky figure. His hair was greasy and a mousy brown. His eyes weren't looking at mine. Oh-no. They were a little bit lower than my face. They were looking at the line of my cleavage.

"...I know. Maybe after this training session, Fury'll see how unsuited she is an force her to back out," Agent Romanov's answer made anger rush through my veins. Not suited. I have no life, at least none I could remember, and Agent Coulson took a chance on me and I refuse to let him down.

"So you're going to waste your energy on her?" Barton replied. I held my rage inside me but it was slowly boiling to the top and I knew it was going to come out sooner or later.

"No! I left it to Agent Collins," She scoffed. My gaze flicked to the perverted man still staring at my cleavage. That must be Agent Collins. Another wave of anger crashed over me because they refused to even deal with me themselves and talk about me behind my back as though I was some simple child!

"Agent Collins?" I asked the man in front of me. His eyes flicked up to mine in a state of panic as he had been caught, "I do believe I'm training with you."

"Yes," he replied simply as his eyes floated back to my boobs. I rolled my eyes.

"I do not know much about spying, agent Collins," I said. This time his eyes refused to leave my chest, "but I'm pretty sure you have to draw your eyes away from my cleavage in order to see your opponent attack." All the other agents in the training centre were beginning to crowd around the matted area as I talked to the agent who clearly thought that my boobs were more of a threat than my fists or legs. One agent alerted Agents Barton and Romanov who were now watching intently now.

"hmm?" he replied. Again his eyes did not budge.

"For example," I said. My mind flicking back to the martial arts book...

I raised my fist and slammed it straight into Agent Collins' jaw. Pushing him into a state of shock. There was a synchronised gasp between all the agents watching. Agent Collins' hand flew straight to his jaw and my mind went back to the book. _"always finish off your opponent..." _I thought of the recent parts I read. I jumped up, grabbed his wrist, whipped my legs around his neck and using my core strength I pulled in him down onto the mats. I rolled over him and stood up. He tried to get up but I raised my leg and kicked him straight back down on the mats again.

"Anyone else?" I asked with my arms crossed. The crowd of spectating agents quickly dispersed with shocked mutters and gossip, leaving me alone with agent Romanov and Barton.

"That was impressive," Agent Barton breathed.

"Even for a _unsuited_ recruit who isn't _agent material_?" I spat at them. Barton immediately coughed and excused himself. Agent Romanov just stood looking guilty, "Let me just straighten things out for you agent Romanov. I am not what you expect, I get that. But Agent Coulson, crazy or not, took a chance on me. And judging by the skills I have just shown you and your director," I nodded up to the man in the viewing gallery, "and his impressed expression, I'd say he's willing to take that chance. For the record I have never done martial arts before in my life. I learnt those moves from reading a book, so don't you _dare _underestimate me."

I turned and went back to the changing room, leaving her in a state of silent shock.

**Author's Note: Grace's sharp tongue, fiery temper and quick wit is back!**


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Captured

Grace POV

We all stood in the training centre awaiting our mission from Director Fury. All of the highly-considered recruits. This was my final test. I was the only woman out of the sixteen of us. All the others didn't believe me when I claimed that I learned my tricks from reading. They also stereotyped me on my gender and size. I was small and female and weak - according to them. Despite the fact that I knew I was strong, I didn't look it. It wasn't until I was in that tight and all showing training gear that I actually looked muscular and fit to be a spy.

When I trained in a far corner doing anything other than weapons the other recruits would snigger and whisper being my back.

"Weakling," one coughed behind me. It took most of my self control not to lift one of the weights they find so hard to lift and throw it at him.

But as we stood in formation, ready for whatever task Fury could throw at us next. A wave of confidence and adrenaline washed over me. I was ready for this.

I had received a communication from Agent Coulson wishing me luck earlier on in the day.

"Good afternoon recruits. This next assignment will split the ones meant to be spies, from the ones who aren't." Files were handed out to us. Presumably our mission, "do not open that file until I have finished speaking. Use whatever means necessary to get this mission complete. And good luck." He stepped away from the gallery and we all opened our files. Murmurs of confusion rippled through the recruits. In the file was a blank page.

I racked my brain on what on earth was going on. They give us an assignment. They give us instructions that are meant to be in the file. Yet there is only a blank page...or is there? I though of the old spy tactics book Coulson had sent me a couple of days back. Invisible ink. The way spies communicated to each other without the opposition knowing. I racked my brain as to how the invisible ink is shown. Lemon juice. I ran out of the training centre while the other recruits were still confused about the blank page. I ran to the recruit kitchen.

It was a small, clean kitchen that was only ever used for snacks in the middle of the night or a place to stash someone else's stuff while playing a prank. I looked around the kitchen in a flurry, trying to find a fruit bowl. And then my eyes latched onto it. It was on top of the microwave. I reached for it an searched through the fruit.

"Please have a lemon, please have a lemon," I chanted under my breath. At the bottom of the bowl, as my hope was running out, was a lemon. My hopes soared as I cut it open with a knife and gently dribbled the juice of half the lemon onto the page. Slowly but surely writing began to appear.

TO THE AGENT READING THIS.

THERE IS GOING TO BE AN ATTACK ON S.H.I.E.L.D. YOUR MISSION IS TO FIND THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE AND ELIMINATE THEM. DO NOT GET CAUGHT.

GOOD LUCK.

How eloquent. And that same phrase again. Good luck. It was just starting to get tedious. I read over the letter again as I took all the weapons out of the hidden compartments in the kitchen so when they did attack; I'd already have weapons on my person and avoid the mad scramble for a gun. Although S.H.I.E.L.D hadn't been taken over yet.

Natasha Romanov POV

I shot the recruits with my tranquillizer gun until all of them fell to the ground. Agent Barton and I tied them up and put them into heli-carriers to be taken to an "enemy camp". They were so stupid. They were like fish in a barrel. Too easy to shoot down as they were all still in a state of confusion about the blank page, they didn't stand a chance. Clint helped me get the last couple into the third heli-carrier.

"Hey, Nat?" He asked.

"What?" I replied wondering why there was a confused tone in his voice.

"I thought there were sixteen recruits for this assignment," he stated. Not quite a question and not quite a proper statement.

"There are Clint," I said in a "well, duh!" tone.

"But we've only loaded 15." My head snapped round to the heli-carriers. There was one spare seat in the third one. Someone_ was_ missing.

"The woman," I replied, knowing exactly who wasn't there, "she must've figured out the invisible ink." Clint whipped his tranq-gun out.

"I think I know exactly where she is." he said with a glint in his eye.

I followed him to the recruit kitchen. I saw her looking down at the bench with half a squeezed lemon beside her. She was expecting us. Clint signalled me to stay quiet and handed me a black balaclava. I slipped it over my head and tucked in the remaining stray hair under it. I nodded to Clint to signal that I was ready.

We both crept up behind her.

Grace POV

I heard footsteps. Quiet footsteps, but footsteps all the same. I looked at the reflection of the kitchen on one of the pans. There were two people dressed in black with balaclavas on. I reached down into my pocket for a small throwing knife but then realised that if I was caught, they'd know I had weapons on me. So I let in be and turned around to fight them.

Clint Barton POV

She spun around and administered a strong punch to my jaw, knocking me off balance. She lifted herself up onto the bench and used to cupboard as a springboard for a flying roundhouse kick and landing perfectly on the floor. Her hair, once a tight, neat braid, was messy with strands pulled out. She kicked again, this time straight into my gut. It winded me and left me crumpled over. With one last push of strength, I pushed her against the cupboards and Natasha appeared, shooting her straight into the neck with a tranquillising dart. Her body became heavy as she slumped into my arms.

"Good shot, Nat," I said. Setting the agent down and pulling off my balaclava. She did the same and sighed.

"You hurt?" she asked. I shook my head.

"Just a broken nose. She packs a punch," I joked.

"No time for joking, Clint," she snapped, "we have to get her and the others off to the facility before they all wake up."

I gave a sharp nod and we carried her to the heli-carriers. We strapped her into the seat and took our own seats in the cockpit as all the heli-carriers flew off.

Grace POV

I woke with a crick in the neck. I rolled my neck until it gave a satisfying crack. I checked my hands. Bound. My feet? Bound. I was sitting down. I shuffled a bit. I was sitting on an old, splintered chair. It was pitch black. I couldn't see a thing. I listened to my surroundings. I was in a large room. There was soft breathing on either side of me. I wasn't alone. At that moment the lights flicked on.

It was a long, thin room with large, army-base style hanging lights. The floor and walls were grey concrete. There were no windows and only one door. The company? All the other highly-considered recruits. Some unconscious, others not. We were in two rows of eight, facing each other. There was one man at the door with a menacing scar across the right hand side of his face. Real, not make up. He had mousy brown hair, dark eyes and pale skin. He had a small pistol in his right hand.

"Rise and shine S.H.I.E.L.D agents," he sneered with a fake Russian accent. It was to forced to be real. This was the test.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON! WHAT ARE GOING TO DO WITH US!" one agent shouted. The man briskly walked over to the agent and gave him a sharp slap across the face. Many other agents flinched at the sound. I did not.

"In the next 42 hours, my friends and I are going to put you through hell until you spill all the information about S.H.I.E.L.D that you know. Once those hours are up. We're going to kill you," he said waving his gun around all the agents. Many flinched.

"Well that's not ominous at all," I muttered sarcastically under my breath. Unfortunately, he heard it. He walked over to me and smacked me hard across the face with the butt of his gun. A metallic-tasting liquid seeped into my mouth. Blood. He had cut my lip.

"Because you're a lady, I'll let you go first," He sneered. Stereotyping me as weak like all the others, "I need the information about S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Go to hell!" I growled before spitting a mouthful of blood onto his face. He cried with disgust and gave me a hard kick in the shin in revenge. I held my yelp through gritted teeth.

"I'll be back later to see if your minds have changed," he announced before stomping out of the room.

**Author's note: Sorry for the late update! I was out with friends all day yesterday but please read and forgive me!**


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Mission Accomplished

Grace POV

"Agent Homes, WHAT THE HELL!" one of the other agents screamed at me. My gaze flicked round to look them directly in the eye.

"What are you talking about?" I asked at a normal volume.

"You might just have ruined our chances of getting out of here. And stopped him from listening to us!" He shouted even though he was only a few metres away from me. My eyes flashed with anger.

"You are going to trade the secrets you swore to keep to save your sorry ass!" I shouted at back at him full of rage.

"What would you know! You only arrived two weeks ago thanks to some other agent's crazy notion. You don't even remember where you grew up! You are weak and stupid! You have no family!" The last statement hit me like a brick to the gut. I became out of breath.

"Winters is right! You have nothing to fight for! You are doing this just because you can. The rest of us have_ reason. _You stay in the corner during every training session focusing on something that is almost useless and yet you think you can lecture us you pathetic bitch!" another agent spat.

I closed my eyes to try and prevent the tears from falling. It didn't work. Several fell and plotted on my training bottoms.

"Look. She's crying. Do you want to go back to your _mommy_! Oh wait, you don't have one!" several more joined in. Jeering and mocking. And I had nowhere to run or hide. My mind went back to the phone call I had with agent Coulson when I thought of home.

_"Hello?" I asked curious as to who would be calling me. I was sitting on my small, single bed, reading another novel. I needed a break from all the handbooks and field guides._

_"Hello, Grace," Agent Phil Coulson's voice called through the reviever._

_"Phil, why are you calling me?" I asked. It sounded a bit rude and ungrateful but I was genuinely curious to the reasons behind the call._

_"Fury, told me you are going into your final exam in a few days. And I just wanted to say that I know you will do great. And I know you don't know who you really are or your reasons for becoming an agent, but just know that I am here and I am the only family you need. I _know_ that you are far more intelligent and stronger than any of those other agents out there. You just have to believe in what I have seen all along," he said slowly and firmly._

_"Thank you, Phil. I needed that," I replied with gratitude. My summoning light began to flash, "I'm going to have to call you back. I'm needed in the training centre."_

_"You'll do great, Grace. Talk to you soon," he said sighing._

_"Bye."_

That phone call was just before I got summoned in for this assignment. I closed my eyes and blocked out all the jeering and teasing from the others and focused on what Phil had said.

_"...I am the only family you need..." _I smiled at the sentiment. _"you are more intelligent and stronger than any of those other agents out there... you just have to believe in what I have seen all along..."_

The last statement rang out in my head as all the mocking and snide comments died down. I looked up to find the source standing in front of me.

"You're team mates don't seem to like you very much. If you spill the information, I will help you get your revenge," he offered. I weighed up my options.

_"you are more intelligent and stronger than any of those other agents out there..."_ Phil's statement rushed into my head again. I could do this. I _could_ do this.

"What do you want to know?" I croaked. Scarface gave a creepy grin.

"What is S.H.I.E.L.D's main weakness?" he asked. Agent Coulson believed in me. Even if he knew me as well as I did myself. He_ believed_ in _me_. My confidence began to grow again. I could do this. I believe in me. I do believe in me.

I muttered nonsense so he would come closer. I believe, I believe, Coulson believes in me. I can do this.

"Could you speak a little louder?" he asked. I shook my head. He sighed and moved his head closer to my mouth, "What is S.H.I.E.L.D's main weakness?"

"Bite me." I spat. I through my head forward. It collided straight into his sending his off-balance. He fell to the floor with a small line of blood seeping out of his forehead. I grabbed the alms of the rickety chair I was bound to and flipped myself and the chair into a forward somersault directly onto Scarface. The rickety chair snapped under the pressure and broke into several large chucks. This left me room to fight all the other guards now coming in. I slid my hands out of the bonds that strapped me to the wood and shook the chunks of wood at my feet off. I readied my stance as more and more guards with heavy machinery rushed into the room.

I could do this, I could do this.

"_you just have to believe in what I have seen all along..." _

I rushed forward to all the men, flicking the two throwing knives in my pockets at two of the men's hands, making them drop their guns. I ran towards them. Disarming them fist with basic dislocation moves. Then continuing by knocking them unconscious. I aimed roundhouse kicks into the faces with sent them toppling down. I flipped soldiers over my back and kneed several in the groin, where I knew it hurt. After I had defeated all the soldiers in that room, I looked back at all the men still bound to their chairs with their chins at their ankles.

"I may not have family, or experience, but you cannot say I am not fit to be one of you," I said sliding a small knife to one of the men. He down at the knife and then up at me with gratitude. I gave a sharp nod and walked out of the room. I pulled the two guns out of my hidden ankle holders and walked down the halls, shooting any soldier in my sight with tranq-darts. I ran out of ammo in both guns and stole two off some of the guards I had shot down. I checked the bullets, tranq-darts, and headed back down the corridor until I reached the main room.

There were several more guards and another leader. Probably another S.H.I.E.L.D agent posing to be the baddie.

"Your outgunned and outnumbered," he said creepily. I looked around at all of them but I didn't flinch. I simply thought "What would agent Coulson want me to do."

"Do you know the one thing you should never do to a red-head?" I asked rhetorically, "annoy them. The colour is self-explanatory warning label." I smirked before I opened fire on all the guards in the room, running and using my own combat skills in the mix. I ran and ducked for cover as more bullets opened fire on me along with a few arrows. Agent Barton was there. I remembered shooting down agent Romanov.

I had an idea to finish them all off. I pulled out one of my knives and gave myself a small cut on my arm and letting my arm fall limp in the view of all my attackers.

"She must me injured," one loudly whispered as the slowly crept forward. I bided my time until they were close enough and then I grabbed the guns and ran straight into the crowd of guards with my fingers never leaving the trigger. I kept shooting until all the guards were on the floor, unconscious, except for the agent being the baddie. He turned and looked me in the eye.

"Password?" he asked. It was S.H.I.E.L.D's last step in the mission. While other's would have scratched their heads in confusion. I smiled. They had hidden the password through every stage of the assignment.

"Good luck," I said with a smile. He smiled back.

"Congratulations," he replied.

"Thank you," I said before shooting him in the neck with a tranq-dart, "Mission Accomplished, sir." I turned around to find my self face to face with director Fury himself.

"Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D Agent Holmes. I have a feeling we're going to have to keep an eye on you." he congratulated.

"All part of the job, director, all part of the job," I said before turning my back on him and walking out of the base.

I, Grace Holmes, had begun a new chapter. One that I would make sure I wouldn't forget.


	18. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: I just wanted to dedicate this chapter to the guest Flyte. For giving me the most amazing review. I hope you like this chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THIS!**

Chapter 17: Heart and soul

Agent Coulson POV

We had only just arrived as the mysterious metal creature had been defeated by the equally mysterious man, I knew as Donald. After the hammer's readings began to spike my team and I rushed into the car and followed its path to the nearby town in the middle of the desert.

We arrived to a street filled with flipped cars, wrecked shops and five people in some sort of armour. One of them was "Donald" although he didn't look much like a Donald. He looked more like one of the those characters you see in comic books. Both him and the four others were dressed in roughly the same attire. The only difference was he was wearing a bright red cape.

I got out of the car and walked towards the others left on the street. Dr Sulveig, the researcher Jane and "Donald" were the closest to me. The others in the car stayed there and made sure we didn't have any other company. He walked forward to meet me.

"Excuse me! Donald," I greeted. I squinted my eyes to try and see with the sun in my eyes as I continued to walk towards him and meet him, "I don't think you're being completely honest with me." I said stopping in front of him. He towered over me, like most of the others. Even Grace looked down at me, depending on her shoes.

"Know this son of Coul," he said in his deep, British accented voice. Grace had the same accent and wasn't from Earth. Could they be from the same world? But "Donald" seems to remember where he is from, "you and I we fight for the same cause, the protection of this world. From this day forward you can count me as your ally." He was almost speaking in Shakespearian English, "if." There always had to be an if. He moved back beside the astro-physicist, Jane, "you return the items you have taken from Jane."

"Stolen!" Jane piped up.

"Borrowed," I put in to cover myself. The last thing I needed was an angry astro-physicist with ground-breaking research that may or may not lead to Grace's past, "of course you can have your equipment back." Jane nodded in approval, "you're going to need it to continue your research."

"Would you like to see the bridge we spoke of," "Donald" asked Jane.

"Uh...sure," Jane agreed. He pulled her close which Jane seemed to like. Just before it happened I realised I forgot to do something.

"Wait! I need to de-brief you!" I called but he was already flying with his arms around Jane. The rest of them left to God knows where, leaving me with a half-destroyed town and no explanations.

Loki POV

Heimdall still remained frozen as I used his staff to open the bifrost to Jotunheim. King Laufey and all his pathetic warriors came through into Asgard. My plan was working perfectly. I will prove myself worthy to my father and finally they will all see me as Grace always did. On top and worthy to be ruler of Asgard.

"Welcome to Asgard," I greeted the frost giants, my own people. I still held the staff in my hands. Laufey gave an evil grin in return and I lead them back down the road to the bifrost, towards the palace.

I showed Laufey and one of his closer warriors the way to father's chambers and waited until they had turned a corner before I followed them. I knew mother would have some form of protection and could probably beat off the extra soldier but Laufey will just throw her away. And true enough, She managed to defeat Laufey's extra guard but Laufey himself knocked her away. I stood behind the door as I watched the event unfold, I needed to make my appearance just in the nick of time.

Laufey moved towards Odin and towered above him.

"It is said you can still hear and see what that transpires around you," Laufey said in his gruff, breathy whisper, "I hope it's true...so that you may know your death came at the hand," a dagger out of ice formed in Laufey's right hand. It was almost time to make my move and become a hero, to become worthy, "of Laufey." He raised his arm high. Now was the time to make a move. I fired a blast from Grunir straight into Laufey's back. He roared out in pain as he flew across the room.

"And your death came by the son of Odin," I whispered harshly back, lifting Grunir and firing once more into his chest until he was nothing but ash.

"Loki," mother called as she scrambled off the floor and ran into my arms, "you saved him."

"I swear to you mother," I replied, looking down at her, "they will pay for what they have done today."

"Loki," a deep voice called. Mother and I looked to the doorway to find none other than my dear brother, Thor, back again. I thought I had got rid of him. Now that he was back, my chances of being the hero went up in smoke.

"Thor," mother gasped as she ran towards him and embraced her elder and favourite son, "I knew you'd return, darling." Although mother was in his arms, Thor never broke his cold gaze on me. He let mother go and walked towards me.

"Why don't you tell them," he growled, never breaking his glare, "how you sent the destroyer to kill our friends, to kill me!"

"What?" mother gasped.

"I must have been enforcing father's last command," I lied.

"You're a talented liar, brother, always have been," he snarled back at me. I put my hand on my chest and tried to sound sincere.

"It's good to have you back," I replied. We were circling now. We were both expecting a fight, "Now if you excuse me, I have to destroy Jotunheim." I fired a blast at Thor which sent him through the wall and tumbling down the outer walls of the palace.

With him dealt with, I charged out of the room and grabbed my horse before charging back own to the bifrost. My body was filled with adrenaline. This was my chance to be a hero, then _he_ shows up and starts to ruin my plan! I put Heimdall's key back in as the bifrost fired up. This was all for Grace. The bifrost fired the beam straight to Jotunheim. I then used my magic to freeze the lightning in position. It will rip Jotunheim apart. The people that left me to die as a child and left me in the hands of a family that never wanted me to succeed.

I turned around to find Thor looking around in horror.

"You can't stop it," I snarled, "the bifrost will built until it rips Jotunheim apart." Thor ran forward with his hammer held above his head. Before he could begin to smash the ice, I fired a shot which sent him backwards.

"Why have you done this?" Thor asked. He was so naive. He did not deserve to be king!

"To prove to father that I am a worthy son," I hissed back, "when he wakes, I will have saved his life, I will have destroyed that race of monsters and I will be _true_ heir to the throne!"

"You can't kill an entire race," Thor argued.

"Why not?" I replied, a little taken aback by his answer. I gave a small breathy laugh, "and what is this new found love for the frost giants?" I took small but steady steps towards him, "you could have killed them all with your bare hands!"

"I'm changed," he replied immediately with a dead serious glare on his face.

"So am I," I replied. I let my hatred towards him flow through my body as I jabbed him with grunir, "now fight me," I challenged. Hitting hard across the face, "I never wanted the throne! I only ever wanted to be your equal!"

"I WILL NOT FIGHT YOU, BROTHER!" he roared back at me.

"I am not your brother," I hissed. He had no idea of my true parentage, "I never was."

"Loki, this is madness."

"Is it madness?" I challenged, "is it?" Tears began to well in my eyes. I never stood close to Thor in anything. The only one who ever noticed me was Grace. And she is dead! "Is it?! Come on, what happened to you on Earth to turn you so soft." I hissed, "don't tell me it was that woman!" He took a deep breath to calm himself. I had hit the spot, "Oh. It was. Well maybe when we're finished here, I'll pay her a visit myself!" That really made him angry. He flew towards me with his hammer out in front. I flew up to meet him.

We clashed with sparks and light flying. He was to strong and pushed me back. He rolled off me and I scrambled to my feet, running after him with Grunir in my hands. Thor deflected my attack with his hammer, knocking me down and climbing on his feet before raising his hammer above my head. He lowered it with force and I used Grunir to deflect the blow but he was stronger than me. I used a sudden burst of strength to throw him off and away from me.

I leapt back on my feet and threw a sequence of hard, consecutive attacks. The clanking sound of metal colliding together filled the room along with the occasional battle cry.

I hit Thor again and he rolled across the floor. I jumped high into the air. Sending grunir down with enormous momentum. he rolled out of the way, barely missing the blade at the end of my staff. It dug into the ground, forming a crack. I tried to pull it out but it remained stuck. He aimed a blow to my head which I ducked out of and spun myself around on the staff that was still stuck and kicking him straight in the gut. I let out a triumphant chuckle as the staff pulled out of the ground.

I swung it back at Thor and our offensive and defensive moves were still at a stalemate. He managed to elbow me in the face and throw me across the room. At which point he aimed another crushing blow with his hammer. I fired another shot but it did not stop him from speeding into me and sening us both crashing out of the gate and back onto the road to Asgard. I rolled over and was left clinging onto the side of the road. Below me were the raging seas.

"THOR!" I yelled. My cape tossing around me as I became panicked at my looming death. He got up and looked down at me with his hammer still in hand, "brother, please." I begged. It was only a copy of me. Thor bent down to pick up that version. I deleted it and showed up behind him, chuckling. I jabbed him again in the stomach as he toppled over. I created more and more copies of myself as we crowded around him. All of us aiming our staffs at him.

"ENOUGH!" he thundered, sending a large bolt of lightning out, knocking me over and making me delete the copies. I lay on the road with pain as my staff had rolled out of my reach. He looked down at me and placed his hammer on my chest. I struggled to get up but it was no use. It was too heavy.

He walked towards the bifrost which was slowly ripping itself and Jotunheim apart.

"Look at you," I hissed through gritted teeth, "the mighty Thor, with all your strength and what good does it do you now!" I lay back down with a groan of pain, "DO YOU HEAR ME BROTHER! THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO!" The weight of the hammer was quickly lifted off my chest. I glanced up and found Thor slamming it down on the road. Over and over again. Each time with a louder grunt of strength emitting from his mouth.

"AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!" he roared as I heard the road begin to crack.

"What are you doing?" I asked breathlessly. Tears began to form in my eyes again. He was ruining my plan! Another thunderous cry came from Thor has he slammed his hammer harder and harder into the road, "IF YOU DESTROY THE BRIDGE YOU'LL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN!" I shouted. He continued to throw his hammer against the bridge with more and more strength. I refused to let him ruin all that I had worked for. All that Grace had hoped for me.

As I charged towards him, holding my staff in attack stance I could faintly hear him mutter "Forgive me, Jane" before he smashed one final time. This time the whole road broke apart, sending both of us flying back before I could land my attack. The gate grinded to a halt and destroyed itself before falling into an abyss. Both Thor and I tumbled towards the same fate as Thor grabbed onto my staff. But something - or someone stopped us both by grabbing a hold of Thor's cape. It was the all-father himself.

I looked up at Thor, trying his best to hold on. His face going red from all the blood rushing to it.

"I could have done it father!" I called, "I could have done it!" My voice cracked with emotion as I silently added "for Grace" inside my head. "For you!" I said aloud, "for all of us!" I could feel my doom looming over me.

"No Loki," Odin said softly. My heart sank. I was of no importance to them. They did not want me. The only one that did ever want me was Grace. For she was the only one who loved me. The only one that I loved both heart and soul and she was gone. Dead. If I let go, I could join her, tell her how stupid I was when she was alive, how she really meant to me and what I did for her. I knew what I had to do. Still looking at the horror-struck face of Thor, I let my grip slacken on the staff.

"No, Loki!" Thor warned. But it was too late. I knew where I had to go, what I had to do. I let go, "NOOOOOOOOOO!" Thor yelled as I fell slowly into darkness.

My thoughts were only of Grace and all the things I wish I had said to her. Maybe now I would get the chance. I continued to fall into the abyss until there was only darkness.

**Author's note: Long an sad. But we all know what happens to him. This is not the end. Please, please, please review. I took all those scenes out of the movie with some added subtext so please let me know what you think.**


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Fun parts only

Grace POV

Phil surprised me with an apartment. He called me just after I arrived back at recuit accommodation. He said it was a congratualtory present as I couldn't live in recruit accommodation anymore for I was not a recruit. He had bought me an apartment in central New York in the same building as him. But he also told me that most agents stay on the S.H.I.E.L.D air base as that was what most agents nicknamed as "the floating fortress". Aparently the apartment was just for days off.

I had time out to properly move into my first proper and known place of residence. Phil joked and said that I would have many places of residence because S.H.I.E.L.D goes far and wide to look after the world. I walked to the dark wooden door with 257c hung on the top of the door. Definitely the right place. I took out a small, steel metal key with a S.H.I.E.L.D keyring attached to it. I chuckled to myself as I looked at the keyring. S.H.I.E.L.D is a top secret, government funded organisation with super spies as employees and yet they have complimentary keyrings with the company name printed on it.

As I slid the key into the fitted lock and opened the door. I walked in the doorway and locked the door behind me. It was a clean, neat space that was already furnished but very beige. Lots and lots of crème and beige furnishings. The walls were a boring white and bare. I walked around the different rooms.

The living room had a large, flat-screen TV, two sofas (one two-seater and one three-seater), a couple of lamps with beige lampshades, a large oak coffee table with some women's magazines already laid on top and a small black laptop with a power pack and perfectly sized but plain computer case. There was one large window which looked over a crowded street in New York and a good view of other skyscrapers in the big city.

The kitchen was very pleasant. The light browns actually suited the room. There was a dishwasher, a large, silver fridge, a gas hob and cooker, two shiny silver sinks, and expensive marble counter tops with a microwave sitting in the corner. There was an island in the middle with drawers on all sides, everyone already packed with cutlery to dishclothes, washing up liquid to a biscuit cupboard. The walls were covered in white tiles except a single line of small light and brown tiles that run the entire way around the room. All the cupboards on the walls were already stored clean IKEA plates, bowls, cups and other dishes.

I moved down a plain hallway and turned to the first door on the left. It was a guest bedroom again with a completely beige colour scheme. It contained two single beds with an oak bedside table for each bed and a large wardrobe beside the door to compensate both guests clothes.

I backed out of the guest room and moved into, what seemed to be, the master bedroom. It was very similar to the guest bedroom but with a king size bed instead of two single beds.

I moved across to the last room on the right side of the hallway. It was the bathroom and it was refreshingly blue. The bath tub, toilet, and sink were white but the walls were a pale, sky blue. There were white cupboards which contained an immersion heater, a range of towels in every shade of blue and a packet of back-up rolls of toilet paper.

I was still in my old S.H.I.E.L.D recruit clothes and decided to take a shower and change into the clothes Phil had sent me in a medium-sized suitcase.

Agent Coulson POV

I had surprised Grace with an apartment across from mine after I heard she passed the final assignment with flying colours. I had warned her that she will probably spend next to no time in it as she will be shipped out all over the globe. I had gotten back from New Mexico just as she had left to explore New York. I sent her a suitcase at her old room as I was just about to get on a plane back. I had put in a range of clothes that I thought would suit her and what I guessed her size was. All the receipts were still with the clothes so if she wanted to return any of them, she could. But I'd have to go with her and explain how to do it.

I made my way back to S.H.I.E.L.D hq and got debriefed by a very disgruntled director Fury as I had "managed to be face to face with a full alien brawl and not get any statements from them" and that my "suggested recruit" was "extremely unusual". These comments did not surprise me so I managed to leave his office unfazed.

I took a cab from the main offices of S.H.I.E.L.D to my apartment building on Manhattan Island. I went up to the 25th floor and before I even thought of going to my own place to relax, I walked to Grace's door and gave a small knock on the wooden door. I had already had her house stocked with all the essentials and could smell something cooking.

The door opened in front of me and there she was. She was dressed in skinny jeans and a baggy sweatshirt with three-quarter-length arms. Her wet, red curls cascaded down her left shoulder as she leaned against the door frame.

I pulled out a tin of burnt orange paint and another tin of lime green.

"I knew you wouldn't like the beige, so my house warming gift is some paint to change that," I chuckled, handing her the tins of paint. She took them and smiled.

"I just made dinner and I have some news," she said smiling, "care to join me?"

"Would love to," I replied, "just let me leave my luggage in my room." I walked just across the hall, unlocked the door, set my suitcase just inside the door without even bothering to turn the lights on, closing the door behind me and walking back to Grace's doorway where she hadn't moved an inch.

"Come on in," she welcomed, backing away from the door and letting me saunter in. The faint smell of sweet and sour wafted through the air and gradually became stronger as she lead me through to the kitchen. And then a little detail hit me.

"Wait, you're _making_ dinner?" I asked incredulously. She gave a soft chuckle.

"I waited for you to pick up on that," she giggled, "don't sound so impressed, I found a ready meal for two at the back of my fully-stocked fridge. I have to thank you for that, and the clothes, and all the other stuff you ordered in for me." I shrugged my shoulders in the "no big deal" way.

"I knew it would be harder for you then any other person so I thought I would make it easier," I shrugged.

"Well, thank you, again," she said lifting the rice and sweet and sour sauce out of the microwave and separated both out equally into two bowls. She reached down to one of the drawers in the island an pulled out two forks. I took a seat at one of the high, swivel chairs around the island as she set a plate in front of me, "beer?"

"Yes please," I replied with my mouth already full of rice and chicken. She smiled and went back to the fridge. She took out two green bottles and popped the caps off with loud pops. She sat down beside me and sliding a bottle towards me. I took a swig out of the cool beer and shoved another forkful of rice and sweet and sour into my mouth.

Grace POV

"So," I said after a five-minute, food-induced silence, "what happened in New Mexico, fun parts only."

"Hmmmm," Phil hummed, "well, that's actually classified."

"WHAT?!" I blurted out louder than intended, "Oh, come on, Phil! I'm an agent now!"

"Yes, you are. But technically you are like a foot soldier in the hierarchy of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"But, please. Just one exception to protocol. Just this one time and I swear I won't say a word," I begged, looking deep into his eyes until he pulled his gaze away with a sigh.

"Fine," he surrendered, "S.H.I.E.L.D has just had it's third encounter from life on other planets."

"_Third_?" I echoed, not quite believing my ears.

"Yes, third," He confirmed, looking back at my widened eyes. I raised an eyebrow in question and he gave another sigh, "the first was when we found the tesseract. Well, when I say we, I mean, Howard Stark found it and when we caught wind of it, director Fury bided his time and took it for research. The second, "he sighed again. He was reluctant to give the answer, "was you."

I took a sharp intake of breath, still not believing my ears, "_me_?" I breathed. It was barely audible. Phil nodded.

"You may not know your past or have most of your memories gone, but I can safely say that you won't recover them here. Because you are not from Earth. This leads me quite nicely to New Mexico-"

"Woah, hold on," I interrupted and stopped agent Coulson mid-sentence, "how can you say that so calmly," I complained and then put on a mocking deep voice, "look, Grace, I know you don't remember anything until when you woke up in S.H.I.E.L.D but guess what you're an alien, so about New Mexico. What the hell, Phil!"

"Hear me out, Grace," he replied calmly. I gave an annoyed huff and waited for him to continue, "in New Mexico, there were, essentially, three parts to this messed up puzzle. One, there was a magic hammer, that gave off intense readings of a residue that did not belong here on Earth. Two, there was a man that arrived here in a storm. We managed to capture him and do some simple DNA tests while we still had him in custody. My curiousness then got the better of me and I compared his DNA to yours...and it was the same structure. So whoever that man was, he came from the place you did. What started this notion was that you showed up in a storm too. Third, this part made my neatly constructed theory fall down like a house of cards, he hadn't lost his memory. He knew _exactly_ who he was, but you did not and it screwed with my head."

"Did he say who he was?" I asked tentatively, hoping that his name would spring a memory.

"He told me it was Donald, but I knew it wasn't true," he replied. Things were getting low so he asked me about my news, "so what's your gossip."

This immediately cheered me up. I became all giddy just like when it happened, "I met a guy," I giggled. Phil rolled his eyes which only just made me laugh even more, "and he was super cute. But I don't know what to do."

"I am not the one to ask, Grace," he admitted, taking another swig of his beer and finishing the bottle, "why don't you ask Agent Romanov, she'd give better advice about men than me."

"She hates me," I said bluntly.

"Oh," he replied, "Why?"

"I may or may not have threatened her and showed her up while you were in New Mexico," I confessed, finishing the last dribble of beer in my bottle, "another?" I asked raising my bottle.

"Sure," he answered, giving me his bottle, "I think we are going to need it."

We spent the rest of the night talking about the cute guy who gave me his number and other pointless details about my new, crazy job and more questions (from me) about the tesseract and all the details of New Mexico.

**Author's Note: Just that little bit of fluff and some facts, leading slowly into the Avengers. And don't worry about mystery guy, he poses no threat.**


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Ther super-soldier

Grace POV

I was called back to S.H.I.E.L.D hq after just 3 weeks. I eventually called Daniel (yes, his name is Daniel) and we had begun dating. I had not told him about my occupation, mostly because it was protocol and it would make conversations super awkward when we talk about our jobs. After my conversation with Phil about the tesseract and all the other alien incidents (including myself), I thought I should look in deeper, considering I was part of it.

Phil had been sent on a mission to some frozen wasteland where there was a call sent in from some Russian oil rig workers called it in. Some strange vehicle frozen in the ice.

When I arrived I found the only two agents I really knew; Agents Barton and Romanov. Both of them looked at me with cautious glares. I still stuck out like a sore thumb in my "ordinary" clothes while all the other agents wore catsuits or uniforms of some kind with a small S.H.I.E.L.D symbol sewed on.

"Agent Barton," I greeted acknowledging them both, "Agent Romanov."

"Agent Holmes," Agent Barton nodded back. Romanov just gave a dismissive grunt.

"We may have gotten off on the wrong foot, Agent Romanov, so please accept my surrender," I announced, reaching my hand out, "truce?" I had heard the expression being used by some of the other recruits but I had to ask Phil what it meant. Agent Romanov sighed and shook my hand.

"Truce, and it's Natasha and Clint from now on," she said almost with a smile. I smiled back and she looked me up and down, "first, we need to get you changed."

Agent R - no - Natasha walked me away from Clint and into a changing room. It was similar to the first one she took me to, when I became a recruit. Same peachy coloured lockers with white number tags on them and the same strong scent of sweat and cheap deodorant.

I looked around before a large pile of clothing was tossed in my direction by Natasha.

"What's this?" I asked.

"You're uniform," she replied simply, "and utility belt. I saw your face of disgust at the catsuits, so this is the alternative."

"This isn't the male agent uniform is it?" I asked cautiously. Natasha through her head back laughing.

"No, some other women don't like the catsuits so they made an alternative," she chuckled.

"Oh, great."

"I'll leave you to it, come out when you're done," she said walking out and leaving me in privacy to get changed.

The uniform was in black, naturally, and consisted of a tight fitting, long-sleeved top, black skinny jeans, comfortable shoes with a 3' wedge and a jacket. Along with this outfit came a utility belt. This carried a gun holder (with a gun included), a small radio transmitter and a communication device. My long red hair was still down and judging by all the other female agents, it should be up, if not cut. So I pulled my hair into a sleek, french twist at the back of my head.

I walked out of the changing rooms to Natasha Romanov's impressed expression.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"Badass, and it suits you," she replied. I chuckled at her reply and she took me around the rest of the agents to meet them.

Agent Coulson POV

My partner and I had been sent to a frozen wasteland. It was the only way to describe it. I couldn't remember where exactly on the globe I was. There was so much frost and snow being blown about that you could barely see your hand in front of you. Agent Mills (my partner) drove. We were in the alias' of two army officials from Washington. I was a lieutenant. We were all wrapped up for the weather. With large fleeced and padded coats, with fur-lined hoods, waterproof, thermal trousers and welly boots. As we drove towards the site we could just about see a small, red glow. As we drove closer, we saw a small shadowy figure holding the red glow. We had found the site.

The figure waved. We slowed down and got out of the warm, snow car and entered the freezing winds and snow of the site. The figure walked towards us. This science team got called in before us so we had to make sure that there was no panic for safety or if they had done something they shouldn't have.

"You the guys from Washington?" the figure asked. He was American and wrapped up in the same gear we were wearing.

"You get many other visitors out here?" Agent Mills joked. I would have given anything to stay in New York and help Grace settle in, but I was stuck here.

"How long have you been on site?" I asked. Making sure they haven't been camping here for days to get our approval to do something.

"Since this morning," he replied as we began walking towards whatever site it was, "a Russian oil team called it in about 18 hours ago."

"How come nobody's ever found anything before?" I asked, curious as to how this hasn't popped up on our radar until now.

"Really not that surprising," he answered, "this landscape is changing all the time." he signalled to our surroundings. There was a faint resemblance to the sun rising but it wasn't very bright and the wind and snow were the more dominant forms of weather at the moment.

"Do we know what this thing is, exactly?" I asked, hoping that it was some really good reason for dragging me into arctic conditions for an unknown object stuck in ice.

"I dunno, probably a," his voice became muffled as another gust of freezing wind blew into my face.

"I don't think so," my partner chuckled. Obviously hearing what I didn't.

"You know we don't have the equipment for a job like this," he stated as we got closer and closer the the sight.

"How long before we can start craning it out?" Agent Mills asked. I assumed he didn't want to be here either, but work is work.

"I don't think you understand!" He shouted over the wind, "you guys are gonna need one hell of a crane!"

We had reached the site. There was a huge iron nib of some sort sticking out of the ice. A white light shone on it, showing all of the site. Most of it was still under the ice. my partner and I walked back to the car and drove it onto the sight. We had a small laser drill attached to the bottom so we might be able to dig down into the site. It was an old WW2 plane.

Several men stood around and watched as the drill completed its last few circles before the hole fell through. My partner and I strapped ourselves into harnesses and were lowered, one at a time, through the hole into the centre of the plane. We had breathing masks on just in case and torches to light the way.

All I could hear was my heavy breathing in my mask. The sight was extraordinary.

"OK, we're in," my partner communicated to the ones above and I heard it in my communicator that was built into my mask.

I clicked on my torch and looked at the framework. All of it was showing so it wasn't a passenger jet. It was old. Definitely 1940's. We both made our way to the front of the ship. it had several windows and a large control desk. We continued to look around us while simultaneously manoeuvring around large clumps of ice.

"Come here," I told my partner, waving him towards me. I flashed my light at a frozen pilot's chair. and looked down at the clump of ice below it. My partner moved beside me, bent down and rubbed some of the ice away. I turned away to look around at the sides of the plane.

"Lieutenant!" My partner alerted, making me turn around to where he was looking, "What is it?" he asked.

I followed his gaze with my torch and found him looking at the shield of Captain America. It had to be it. There was nothing else like it. The silver star surrounded by the blue and red rings. My shock almost prevented me from speaking proper sentences.

"Oh my god," was the only thing I could say as I looked at it, "base, put me through to the colonel."

"It's 3am, sir," the voice replied.

"I don't care what time it is, this one's waited long enough," I replied gravely.

Grace POV

I had been taken around the base by Natasha and had got to know some of my colleagues. And three days after I arrived, I got called on my first proper mission. Clint and Natasha were accompanying me but they would not be playing a major part in this mission.

"Don't get your hopes up, it isn't that exciting," Natasha said handing me a mission file as we boarded the heli-carrier, "his name is Steven Rogers, better known as Captain America. He's a World War 2 hero."

"Ok, why is he my mission?" I asked as I read through the file. He was small and weak before he had been injected with a super serum, making him a super-soldier and the legend that, apparently, was Captain America.

"Director Fury thinks you will be able to understand what he is going through. New place, nothing like you once knew and all that," Clint piped up from the cockpit.

"Oh. So, where did we find him?" I asked, curious to what happened.

"Frozen in ice," Natasha answered bluntly. We spent the rest of the short journey in silence. I read through every detail in Captain Rogers file and found myself intrigued about his story. We reached S.H.I.E.L.D's building near Time Square in New York. Natasha and Clint lead me straight inside where I got a badge declaring who I was. As we finished the small details a man charged through a pair of grey double doors.

"All agents, code 13," A voice rang through the tannoy system. Code 13. Someone's escaped. Capture alive. I looked at the muscular man running through the lobby. He was tall, blonde and muscular. I recognised his face. He was Captain Rogers. He began to run away from all agents with bulletproof vests and dressed in black. I ran after him along with all the other agents. He began shoving agents in his way, throwing them onto the floor, but not with purposed violence, but with adrenaline powered self-defence.

He ran out of the building at least 50 yards ahead of us. He was a quick runner, but then again, he was a super soldier. He continued to run with several of us chasing behind until he reached Time Square. He looked around with shock and confusion as to what was happening. He had been frozen in ice for 70 years and woken up in a time that was not his own.

We eventually reached him on foot with several armoured cars with us. At the other end, Director Fury, dressed head to toe in black was standing with another swarm of agents and armoured cars behind him. I saw Phil with his shades on standing not to far away but his gaze was on other things to notice me.

"At ease, soldier," Fury ordered, walking towards him, "look, I'm sorry about that little show back there, but...we thought it best to break it to you slowly."

"Break what?" he asked, completely confused on what was going on. All agents were now on crowd control, keeping the public away as we bring the captain into custody.

"You've been asleep, cap," Fury replied, "for almost 70 years." Captain Rogers looked around him in shock. Fury remained dead calm and serious, "you gonna be ok?"

"Yeah," he replied, taking all of his surroundings in, "yeah, it's just...I had a date."

My heart ached for him as he was put into one of the armoured cars and driven to safe S.H.I.E.L.D facility. Probably, much like the one I was in. I saw director Fury look through the faces of agents before he caught my eye. He beckoned me forward.

"Agent Holmes, your mission is still the same even though some details have changed because of this...complication," he ordered. I nodded in reply, "Agent Coulson has the co-ordinates on where to take you. You should be there within the hour to question and connect the subject. Make him an asset." He walked away as Phil came up beside me and lead me to a car.

"Just a normal day at the office?" I asked him jokingly as I sat down in the passenger seat.

"Pretty much," he smiled back. True enough the journey only took half an hour and I was right back where I started. Phil and I talked about finding the captain before we caught sight of the facility.

"Seeing this place again is bringing back a weird feeling of nostalgia," I said quietly.

"I know," he replied just as quietly.

I was taken down the same, eery, white halls and with patients dressed in the white clothes I used to wear. One of the soldiers slid a card into the lock and the door hissed open.

"In you go," Phil said with an encouraging smile. I smiled back and entered the interrogation room.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: An interrogation?

Steve Rogers POV

How was this possible? I was asleep for 70 years! The las thing I remember before waking up was crashing the plane. Had we won the war? Assuming that the Americans are still speaking English and not German, I certainly hope so. What about the cube? I hope it is gone forever. It _deserves_ to be gone forever.

All these thoughts swam around my head as I observed my surroundings. It was a plain interrogation room that looked a lot like the 1940's but it had a fancy locking system and sturdier chairs.

The door hissed open as an athletic, tall young woman walked in. She was completely dressed in black (like all the other S.H.I.E.L.D agents) but it wasn't a catsuit like all the other female agents I had seen. She had bold red hair that was pinned to perfection around her head. No strand was loose.

"Good afternoon, Captain Rogers," she said sitting down on the chair on the other side of the table and setting a brown file of information in front of her. She had a British accent. Like Peggy. I looked down immediately as I thought of our last conversation...

_"Please don't do this, we have time, we can work it out," she begged through the plane's radio. I looked back at the radar and my options._

_"Right now, I'm in the middle of nowhere and if I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die," I explained. There was no way I was going to get through this, "Peggy...this is my choice." I said. I couldn't let all those people die. It was a sacrifice I was going to have to make._

_I put up the picture I had of her in front of me on the control panel as I steered the plane down. I glanced back down at the photo of her and thought of all the times we spent together, "Peggy," I said again to her. There was s much I wanted to say but so little time._

_"I love you," came a faint and barely audible whisper through the radio. My heart soared and then ached. I could see the ice and blue sea through the clouds now._

_"I'm gonna need a raincheck on that dance," I replied as I flew the plane further down to the ground._

_"Alright..." she croaked. I could almost see tears coming down her pale cheeks, "a week, next Saturday at the Stork Club." Her British accent was bolder and a bit clearer in the radio._

_"You got it," I said even though both of us knew what was going to happen._

_"8 o'clock on the dot, don't you dare be late," her voice began to crack again. The ice and water were getting steadily closer, "understood?"_

_"You know, I still don't know how to dance," I admitted. She was silent for a minute. I was getting closer and closer to the ice._

_"I'll show you how," she replied sweetly, "just be there."_

_"We'll have the band play something slow," I imagined. The ice got closer and closer until..._

I shuddered. "And which agent are you?" I asked, slightly hostile. She opened her mouth to answer back but I treated it like a rhetorical question, "no, let me guess...Watson? No, Miller?"

"Holmes," she replied. A typically British last name, "Agent Grace Holmes." I looked up at her. No agent gives their real name.

"And are you here as some training exercise, Miss Holmes?" I asked. Leaning forward to almost intimidate her. She leaned forward slightly as well.

"No," she replied simply, "although this is my first mission, Director Fury and the powers that be, think I can relate to you."

I snorted in response. Ridiculous.

"I know it's a bit of a cliche when I say I know what you're going through, but it's the truth," she explained.

"Really?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yes," she replied, her large blue eyes were full of sincerity, "I only remember being on this planet for two months." I looked at her, trying to find any tell of her lying, but she wasn't, "I have been told that I was found in the middle of nowhere after a freak storm. I fell out of the sky, quite literally, without any recollection on who I was or where I had come from. The only things I know about this Earth are the things I have witnessed or read in books!"

Grace POV

There it was. My entire life in a nutshell.

"So...you don't even know your real name?" he asked, looking at me like I had two heads. I was used to that look now so it didn't faze me.

"My first name I remembered was Grace, but my last name? I made up," I replied. Captain Rogers sat back in his chair, flabbergasted.

"So, how did you come to work for S.H.I.E.L.D?" he asked, "only two months here and you're interrogating a person of interest."

"I woke up in this very facility, just over 2 months ago. Another Agent saw my skills, that when I read something, I could remember it and use it to my advantage. I learned to speak 14 languages fluently through language dictionaries."

"Wow," he gasped.

"Yeah, so don't start mouthing off the agency or I may just have to kill you," I replied. Half joking, half serious.

"You wouldn't."

"Annoy me and I could," I threatened back with a smirk. He reached his hand out across the table.

"Steve Rogers," he greeted. I took his hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Grace Holmes," I replied smoothly, "pleasure."

"Right back at you," he said with a "sexy" smile. I cringed and the cheesiness and rolled my eyes. He threw his head back laughing.

We talked about several things before the "interrogation" finished. I found out I reminded him of his girlfriend, Peggy Carter. The name rang a bell from his file so I read up on her after we had finished. He had a close friend called Bucky and the rest of our conversations were mainly about the emotion spectrum of S.H.I.E.L.D agents and how weird it is finding all the new things out. I tried to explain my ability as best as I could but I failed as Steve got lost about half way through.

Nick Fury POV

I stood on the other side of the glass, watching agent Holmes make a friend out of Captain Rogers. She was doing well. I looked over at Agent Coulson who had a proud smile on his face. The guy treated the new agent like a sister or daughter. I couldn't blame him. It happens to most agents eventually.

"She's doing well," I stated, trying to provoke Agent Coulson into saying a couple of words.

"Yes, I told you it was a good decision," he said smugly. I sighed, I hated to admit when someone made a better decision.

"Yes - yes you did," I sighed. Agent Coulson gave a triumphant chuckle. He better not get used to it. Agent Holmes wrapped up the interview and both Agent Coulson and I went out to the hallway to look over the details.

She walked up to me and handed me Captain Rogers' file.

"A new asset for S.H.I.E.L.D," she announced proudly.

"Well done, Agent Holmes," I congratulated as sincerely as my mouth would let me, "is Captain Rogers free for dismissal?"

"Yes, sir," she replied immediately, "may I inquire as to where he will be staying?"

"You're a smart agent, Miss Holmes, I'm sure I could leave that in your capable hands to sort out," I replied simply, turned on my heels and walked back down the corridor.

Grace POV

I turned to Phil after the last statement.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked him. He was holding back a laugh and I wanted to know why. He let out a deep breath before answering. I gave him a stern glare.

"It means..." he trailed off to hold back another laugh, "that he stays with you until he can get his own accommodation. I have to run. Good bye." And then Agent Phil Coulson turned on his heels and walked away. Leaving me with a super-soldier as a new room mate. What could possibly go wrong.

Steve Rogers POV

Grace came back in looking a little stressed.

"Grace is everything all right?" I asked standing up and walking up to her. I was just over 6 feet and she came up to my nose.

"Well, you are free to go," she said slowly.

"That's great, why do you look so stressed?"

"But you have to stay in the apartment I only got just over three weeks ago."

"Ah," I replied, "do you not want me as a room mate?"

"No, no, you're great. It's just a bit..."

"Awkward?" I suggested.

"Yes," she agreed, "very awkward."

"If you let me stay one night, I will immediately go out apartment hunting the next day," I begged. I was not staying in this creepy facility any longer. A couple of hours was enough. Grace gave a sigh of reluctance but slowly nodded, "Yes!" I shouted in triumph before squeezing her with a huge bear hug.

"Ugh...Steve...lungs..," she wheezed, slapping my back to put her down. I dropped her immediately and waited as she caught her breath.

"Shall we go?" I asked. She breathlessly nodded and we made our out of the facility and back to New York.

**Author's Note: Captain America as a room mate. Please keep reviewing, and favouriting and following because it just encourages me to write more.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MARVEL, BUT IF I DID, I WOULD OWN LOKI.**

**LMS;)**


	22. Chapter 21

**Author's note: mywarisalreadywon asked for another Loki chapter and I had been planning this one but didn't know how to fit it in. So, warning, it is not a particularly happy scene but I assure you, it is necessary.**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING :'(**

Chapter 21: Get out of my head!

I woke up in darkness. I was still alive. Or I, at least, thought I was still alive. I tried to check but my hands were chained above my head, strapping me in a sitting position. Yes, I think I was alive, and I am almost positive this is not Valhalla. I opened my sticky eyelids and it was complete darkness but the glowing purple flecks, scattered.

How long have I been here? My hair was longer than it was when I fell off the bifrost. I shuddered at the memory. My brother's - no, Thor's face as I fell into the abyss.

"You're awake," a deep voice said from the shadows, "Loki of Asgard."

"How do you know my name?" I asked into the darkness all of my questions spilled out, "Where am I? What realm is this? How do you know my name? Who are you?"

"Calm down, Loki," he replied as soothingly as a creepy voice shaded by darkness can be, "I am Thanos. This is an unknown realm to your kind and an unknown world. I know your name from having a look in your mind while you were unconscious."

"How long have I been here?" I asked finally.

"Longer than you expect," he replied simply. I could hear footsteps and another light appeared. It was brighter than all the others. The shadowy figure walked into it.

He was wearing armour that looked like it had been constructed out of bones and a purple cape. He wore a golden, tight-fitted helmet with purple twisted into it as well. He had glowing purple eyes surrounded by purple skin and a creepy smile that had some form of hidden intent.

"What do you want with me?" I asked. More questions filled my mind, the more the encounter continued.

"We do not take kindly to visitors, Prince of Asgard, or should I say Jotunheim?" He questioned. With a flick of his wrist my Asgardian image disappeared and was replaced by the icy blue skin and crimson eyes of a Jotun, "but we keep the ones that are of some use to use. Those who would be valuable allies."

"An ally?" I snarled as I changed back into my Asgardian image.

"Yes. We have located the tesseract on the feeble world, known by it's inhabitants as Earth. You would know it as Midguard," he explained, "we would like you to help us conquer this pathetic Earth and it's inhabitants to get the tesseract so we can take over the galaxy."

"You would have me kill millions of people for just one power source," I replied, "I will not do it."

"What would Grace think? She wanted you to be on top, at your rightful place." Thanos mocked. Rage errupted inside of me like a volcano.

"DO NOT USE HER TO USE ME FOR YOUR OWN PURPOSES!" I yelled at him. Standing up and straining against my chains to lunge at him.

"My, my, Loki. Such intense feelings for a _serving girl_. And a _dead_ serving girl, none the less!" Thanos tutted, " I am disappointed. A master of sorcery, like yourself should have the pick of any woman yet you go for a girl who scrubs floors for a living. Or did scrub floors for a living."

I pulled hard against my chains again. Thanos forced me back with magic. My eyes widened with shock. Before I could do anything he flicked his wrist and I was thrown back into a memory...

_..."I didn't realise you had impeccable timing on your list of qualities?" My voice rang through the silence. Grace jumped a foot in the air before turning round to face me with a blinding smile on her face._

_"Are you without your entourage?" She asked dramatically peering around me to see if there was anyone else behind me._

_"Yes, I made them disappear," I laughed. She replied with a loud, hysterical laugh. I waved her over to our window, "I, Loki, second prince of Asgard, relieve you of your duty to come and talk." She rolled her eyes and leant against the wall, facing me._

Tears swept down my face as I realised that this was the conversation we had the last time I saw her. I could hear a dark chuckling in the background but the conversation skipped over a bit to nearing the end...

_"I do believe this belongs to you," she said as she handed me the book. It was the book I gave to her on the first day we met. I was speechless. She remembered it._

_"H...how," I sounded like a babbling idiot. The emotional significance of that book, "did you find it?"_

_"Very good. Not as good as Hogun's drunken singing though!" She chuckled. I laughed with her. She turned to face out the window, deep in thought. I lay my had on her's._

_"Grace?" I asked tentatively. She turned back to face me. Her large blue eyes burning straight into my emerald green ones. She looked, almost, troubled._

_Her beautiful eyes were wide with panic as a red stain began to spread at her chest. Blood. I rushed forward as she began to go limp in my arms._

_"Loki! You are worthy! Help me! Loki, help me!" she begged as the light began to fade from her eyes. She began to lift up her hand to my face with the last amount of strength she had. Small tears were beginning to roll down her perfect cheeks. She muttered something inaudible as the life completely left her body. Her hand went limp before she could touch my face. _

_"NOOOOOOOOO!" I let out an ear-splitting scream of despair. I could hear the same dark chuckling as before as Grace evaporated from my arms, revealing Thanos. He stood there with a gleeful look on his face, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" I screeched and using all my magic, I forced him out of my head._

I woke up again in the same unknown world with Thanos still smiling at me with evil intent. Tears were still trickling down my cheeks as I thought about the trick Thanos had just played.

"Join us," he proposed again.

"Never!" I spat back at him. He tried to force me back into a memory but I refused to let him in. An excruciating pain seared through all cells in my boy, making me crumple up in pain. When I was at my weakest and still in agony, Thanos forced me into another twisted memory...

_"Thank you," I grinned. she grinned back, "so I spent the rest of the day searching every magic book in this library for a suitable revenge, and I did. The shrieks from him the next morning were priceless!" I couldn't contain my laughter any more and neither could Grace. We both sat and laughed about all the weird and wonderful things that had happened in our childhood. Even though her family was a lot poorer, Grace got up to some fantastic revenge mostly against her rude neighbour. As the laughter died down we both realised how dark it had gotten._

_"I'm going to have to go," she said gazing out the window. The soft, dim light made it look like her face had a dim, golden glow to it._

_"For how long?" I asked._

_"For ever, Loki," she snarled, "you are nothing! You need to prove yourself worthy! You are nothing! You always were nothing, even your mother and father thought you were nothing! You always will be nothing if you do not prove yourself!"_

_She began to walk forward, closer and closer to me until I could not move any further back. Her smooth, feminine features became more masculine as they began to change from alabaster to purple. Her beautiful blue eyes became shrouded in black before becoming a glowing purple. Her small, thin lips replaced by an evil grin. Thanos._

_"I SAID GET OUT!" I screamed, using the remainder of my strength to force him out._

I was sweating when I woke up again. Thanos flicked his wrist and put me back in excruciating pain.

"Lift him up!" I heard him order before the pain stopped. He walked closer to me and with another hand gesture, I was in my undergarments with my torso exposed, "let's try a new technique. Maybe something a little more _physical_?" He turned away for a brief moment before returning with a large blade.

I was now strung up by my arms, high enough that my tip-toes just about made contact with the floor.

"I will never help you!" I shouted at him. He smirked.

"We'll see," He slashed me across the stomach. I let out a cry of pain, "Your first scar, my prince." He said with a mocking bow.

"It is not my first scar," I replied through gritted teeth. He made another cut. This time it was slower and deeper than the last one. I let out a long, slow yelp while simultaneously gripping onto the chains above me.

"Join us," he said again. I replied no once more. He gave me another cut. Blood was seeping out of me. I was beginning to go light-headed, "after all your brother did to you?" slash! "You're still going to protect the world he loves most!" Slash!

This went on three more times before I surrendered.

"Yes!" I cried, "I will do anything you want!"

"Anything?" he asked.

"Anything," I begged, "just make it stop."

"Of course." he replied. After he replied, I expected the pain to stop but another wave of searing agony crashed into my boy like several stone walls. It was worse than any of the other wounds I had received, put together. I yelled and screamed over and over again until my throat dried up and the room slowly faded into darkness...

**Author's Not (2): DUN DUN DUUUUUUN! I will continue tomorrow...or will I? Please review and I might just let you know what happens but it's your decision. Now it's a crossover between avengers and Thor!**


	23. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: Thank you for all the amazing feedback! For that reason here is the cliffhanger I left you at but...YOU NEED TO READ THIS A/N! Things are about to get a little bit more complicated. We last saw Loki falling into pain. If anyone has read or seen "The Host" by Stephanie Meyer (you should read it, it's awesome) it is sort of the same concept in a certain point.**

**Basically the rest of Loki's side of the foreseeable future of this story will be told from Thanos' POV. This is because Thanos has taken over Loki's body (has the icy blue eyes to prove it). Loki will be speaking to him as he is still in his own body (like the host) and all the conversation one inside the mind will be in italics.**

**DISCLAIMER! I DON'T OWN THANOS OR (sob, sob) Loki...**

Chapter 22: Stuck

Thanos POV

The transfer was complete. I was now the inhabitant of a rogue Asgardian prince. I have to admit it was the best looking body I had been in, in a very long time. I would fit in well with the humans.

My glowing purple eyes were now an icy blue. It was the only give-away that I was not Loki. But luckily, Loki knew all the things about Earth but the people of Earth had never seen him. He was gone. They all go after I take over. They just get squished down into oblivion.

_That's what you think, _a voice spat bitterly. Loki. He was still there.

_What are you still doing here? _I asked. I tried to think what reasons he had for staying.

_You've inhabited my body and are planning to use me to take over the universe, _he stated, _and you still thought I _wouldn't _go down without a fight?_

_Most of them don't stay, _I replied.

_I have a lot more to lose than you think, _he threatened.

_Shut up, _I snapped back at him and got out of the conversation in our minds.

"I have to go talk to my superior, no _our_ superior, if you plan to stay," I threatened. Loki didn't talk back but I knew he was there. Stuck inside a body that once was his. Not anymore though.

I marched over the islands that were so familiar to me, but so fascinating to Loki. I once passed something that was obviously very eye-catching to Loki as he momentarily took his body back to look at one of our communication devices. He was still weak so I overruled him with ease.

We walked up to the main command centre of the world to face my superior. My body was safely stored away for when I finish this assignment. The unfortunate thing about this enchantment was I was still linked with my old body while I inhabited a new one.

_So I'm just another assignment, then? _Loki asked sarcastically.

_Yes, _I replied bluntly. I got down on my knees in front of one of the communicators Loki found so interesting.

"The tesseract," my superior announced in his wheezy but still gruff tone, "has awakened. It is on a little world, a _human_ world, that they would wield its power. But our ally know it's workings as they never will."

_That's me, isn't it? _Loki asked rhetorically.

_Shhhhh, _I ordered him, _the superior is speaking!_ Loki went back into a grumpy silence as my master continued.

"He is ready to lead," he said as a staff was placed in my open hands.

My _open hands, _Loki interjected bitterly. The staff had the same core as the tesseract. With its distinct icy blue colour. The same as my eyes.

"And our force...our chitauri...will follow," he continued, "the world will be his, the universe, yours. And the humans...what can they do? But burn."

_Ominous, _Loki commented. I bit a hot answer back as I was still talking to the superior.

"Is all the knowledge there?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied, standing up to Loki's full height and still holding the staff.

"And the host?" he asked cautiously.

"Gone," I lied.

_Liar! _Loki shouted in protest.

"Good," he replied.

_He wanted me gone the entire time! That's why you're in my body, right? _Loki accused, _I thought you said I was valuable...oh, wait...that was just before you tortured me!_

"Any other orders, sir?" I asked my superior and ignoring Loki.

"Prepare for transportation," he ordered, "I want you there as soon as possible."

I gave a swift bow and walked out of there before scolding Loki inside my mind.

_I can't believe I am arguing with the soul of a child inside my head! _I shouted, _This is an insult._

_If you think this is an insult, you clearly rethink your definition of insult._

_Shut up before I crush you! _I threatened.

_You've tried that already. I thought I said I wasn't going anywhere._

_We agreed on no such thing, _I snapped back at him. He didn't bother answering back to I stood ready at the doorway. We had begun preparations for travel the moment I woke up in Loki's body.

"Initiate transporter sequence!" I ordered. The humming of powerful energy began to increase in volume as we stood waiting.

Suddenly a flash of blinding blue light appeared in front of me and opened up to catch a glimpse of Earth and the people on the other side. I took a deep breath and a step forward.

_uh-oh, _was the last thing Loki said before we were sucked through the portal.

**IF YOU DID NOT READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BEGINNING AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THIS CHAPTER, I SUGGEST YOU READ THE A/N AND THEN RE-READ THE CHAPTER. Please review, favourite, follow, etc.**


	24. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: I know you guys have been waiting eagerly for this so it's a longer chapter but the scene from the movie so complex that I have to split it into two parts.**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**

Chapter 23: Chaos arrives

Grace POV

"So, where are you going?" Steve asked. We were in the kitchen. He was eating a bowl of crunchy nut and reading a book on world war 2. I was pulling my hidden, pre-packed suitcase out of it's hiding spot. Natasha said it was handy to have one just in case of sudden, foreign missions.

He had been my room mate for a month. I had to admit; it wasn't that bad. It was the fact that he only planned to stay a couple of nights until he found an apartment. Unfortunately, even with a very generous S.H.I.E.L.D bill coming at the end of every week, it still wasn't enough for an apartment Steve liked.

"Going to a top secret base of some sorts to help out Phil," I replied.

"Who is this Phil? You talk about him a lot but I thought you were dating Daniel," he asked. Phil had been sent on missions near and far since Steve had arrived and they actually had never met. Which was ironic as Phil admitted to admiring Steve.

"I _am_ dating Daniel," I replied, "Phil was the agent who looked after me at S.H.I.E.L.D." I explained while pouring myself a glass of orange juice to go along with Cheerios. I shovelled in spoonful after spoonful while simultaneously keeping time on my watch.

"Speaking of Daniel, I heard some...strange...noises last night," he said eloquently. I rolled my eyes.

"Can you please apologise for me?" I asked, "be nice."

"He doesn't know!?" Steve replied incredulously, "when did Fury call you in?"

"At 5am!" I complained. I rushed into the bathroom to quickly brush my teeth. I took the toothbrush with me back into the kitchen with so I could still continue my conversation with Steve without shouting through the apartment and wake Daniel up.

"Oh, and he thinks I'm gay when I'm nice to him," he said. I raised my eyebrows as I couldn't talk back. I signalled to give me one minute as I sprinted into the bathroom, spat out the foamy toothpaste and rushed back in to talk to Steve.

"I'm sorry, I would love to stay and argue. But I have to get on the road. Will you be ok by yourself?" I asked looking at the clock on my phone in my hand.

"Yes I'll be fine. I'm going to throw huge parties with all the mates I met down in the bar," he replied overly cheerily.

"So, you'll be watching the friends marathon then...an the history channel," I replied with a smirk. He gave me a dirty look and I chuckled.

"That maybe so," he said before turning his attention back to the book.

"Good thing I got that amazing TV deal," I said before hugging him, "I'll be back soon from..."

"To?" He asked.

"Classified," I replied before dragging my chocolate brown, wheeled suitcase out the door. I could just hear him return with a disgusted snort.

I walked out to be met by a black BMW with an equally ominous driver in a dark suit, shades and a S.H.I.E.L.D badge that made me know it was my ride.

The car took me to a private helicopter already carrying Director Fury, agent Maria Hill (his right hand lieutenant) and a couple of heavily armed goons.

"What's the situation?" I asked putting on the headphones and mic. Maria was the only one who answered.

"The tesseract has been spiking inordinate amounts of energy," she replied. The others remained emotionless and silent.

The rest of the journey was long and awkwardly silent. The only thing that made it interesting was the occasional glances Agent Hill gave to me. Some were rolling eyes and some times she would make me glance down at her hands where she had gotten so bored she had started a thumb war with herself. I smiled to myself and daydreamed the rest of the seven hours to a secret location, which I couldn't remember the state it was in.

It had already became dark. The lights of the base shone below as I looked down at it. Many cars were driving out. They were black so all you could see were the headlights worming their way own an equally dark road.

"All personnel," a robotic voice echoed through the tannoy system of the base, "the evacuation order has been confirmed. Proceed to your designated vehicles you have been assigned for evacuation. This is not drill."

I looked at the several thousand agents briskly walking, almost running, to several armoured SUVs. Some had body armour and guns, some were in suits and lab coats.

"What's going on?" I asked. I received no reply from any person this time.

"Emergency personnel, go to your designated vehicles for full campus evacuation," said the robotic voice on the tannoy system. There were alarms wailing as all the others fled. We neared the ground and landed to face Agent Phil Coulson.

Agent Hill slid the door open and climbed out first, then Director Fury. His long, black coat in a flurry behind him as the chopper's wings spun slowly to a halt. I got out shortly after, followed by the two goons with weapons and bulletproof vests.

"How bad is it?" Director Fury asked Phil. Phil was wearing his mysterious dark shades and signature navy suit.

"That's the thing, sir," he replied, removing his shades. It was dark after all, "we don't know." I was caught in a state of confusion. What the hell was going on! Director Fury and Agent Hill walked quickly inside. Phil followed them but not before I briskly walked to his side and gave him a quick questioning as we walked.

"Phil, what are we doing here? Why is the base evacuating? Why am _I_ here?" I asked. I let the questions spew from my mouth in word vomit, or was it question vomit?

"Ok, we are here to help evacuate. The base is evacuating because of the tesseract's sudden spike in temperamental energy. And the reason you're here is the same reason all of us our here. Fury knows our skills and trusts us to get the job done quickly and efficiently more than the other agents," he said without taking a breath while still managing to keep up with Director Fury and Agent Hill. I smiled to myself, wondering why Natasha wasn't here. Phil seemed to read my mind and answer my question, "Natasha's in Russia completing an assignment. We couldn't risk pulling her out which is why she is not here."

I nodded in reply. We reached a lift where we all crammed in but the two over-armed goons who stood at the ready as we went down. We travelled down many levels before we stopped and walked out into a long corridor where several more men were moving crates and boxes.

"Dr Sulveig read an energy surge from the tesseract four hours ago," Phil informed us as we continued to walk to an unknown destination to me.

"Nelson, didn't authorise Sulveig to go to test phase," Fury added.

"Sulveig wasn't testing it. He wasn't even in the room," Phil contradicted. Agent Hill and I walked silently behind, listening intently to the conversation in front of us, "spontaneous event."

"It just turned itself on?" Maria questioned.

"Where are the integer levels now?" Nick asked seriously. There were several men in lab coats carrying large pieces of equipment out around us.

"Climbing," Phil answered bluntly, "when Sulveig failed to shut it down, we ordered an evac."

"How long until we get everyone out?"

"Can't be sure. But it should be clear in the next half hour."

"Do better," Fury ordered. Phil dropped back. I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Keep following, I'll be fine," he whispered. I let go and caught up with Agent Hill and Director Fury. We continued going own levels. Only this time it was stairs.

"Sir, evacuation may be feudal," Agent Hill challenged. We were now jogging after Fury who was keeping to a quick, constant pace.

"What should I do? Tell them to go back to sleep?" He asked rhetorically.

"If we can't control the tesseract's energy, there may not be a minimum safe distance," Agent Hill argued. More frantic men were running now, trying to get all the research moved before something happens.

"Sir, Agent Hill's right," I added. Fury ignored us.

"I need you to make sure the phase two prototypes are shipped out," he ordered.

"Sir!" Angent Hill protested. I didn't know what phase two was but I knew it wasn't good and was definitely a power play, "is that really a priority right now?"

"Till such time as the world ends, we act as though it intends to spin on," Fury interrupted, "clear alpha-tech below. Every piece of phase two on a truck and gone." Agent Hill gave one more look of disgust and signals to the two men in armour.

"Yes, sir," she replies bitterly, "you two, with me!" I walked to join her.

"Agent Holmes, with me," Fury ordered.

"Yes, sir," I replied following him down another flight of stairs.

We walked down into a dome-shaped room. It was filled with science equipment and only a few scientists. In the far end of the room was a large metal circle. In the middle was a glowing blue cube. The tesseract, I assumed.

"Talk to me, doctor," Fury ordered. A plump man with salt and pepper hair, wearing an old fashioned, chequered shirt and matching tie stood up.

"Director," he greeted and walked over to us. He was most certainly in a panicked state. He had a line line of sweat on his brow and looked like he was going to die of stress.

"Anything we know for certain?" Fury asked.

"The tesseract is misbehaving." I looked over at one of the men in lab-coats. He put a thin metal rod into the tesseract which quickly pushed it back with a small energy surge.

"Is that supposed to be funny, doctor?" Fury asked unimpressed.

"No, it's not funny at all," the man I assumed to be Dr Sulveig said in a dead serious tone. He walked up to us, acknowledged the both of us and walked beside us with Fury in the middle, "the tesseract's not only active, she's behaving."

"I assumed you pulled the plug," Fury suggested.

"She's an energy source! We turn off the power, she turns it back on," Sulveig explained. We walked around to stand looking at the space the tesseract was aimed at, "if she reaches peak level-"

"We prepared for this doctor," Fury interrupted, "harnessing energy from space."

"We don't have the harness," Sulveig said walking over to a control panel of some sort. I remained silent and absorbed the conversation and the stuff around me, "my calculations are far from complete. Now if she is throwing off interference, radiation. Nothing harmful, just low levels of gamma radiation."

"That can be harmful," Fury pointed out. I made a mental not to look at radiation and some nuclear astro-physics for my next book choice, "Where's agent Barton?"

"Hawk?" Sulveig scoffed. Hawkeye was Clint's codename because of his skill of good eyesight, Natasha's was black widow as she mysterious and deadly. I was Phoenix, because of my red hair, "up in his nest as usual." Sulveig made a quick gesture up above him.

"Agent Barton, report," Fury ordered down his communicator. Clint slid down his rope to walk up to us.

"Director Fury, Agent Holmes," he greeted.

"I gave you this detail so you could keep a close eye things," Fury explained as we both walked with agent Barton around the lab.

"I see better from a distance," he replied.

"Have you seen anything that might set this thing off?" Fury asked.

"Doctor!" A blonde scientist called from a far corner. I turned to look at what was going on, "it's spiking again." Fury and Barton ignored the call and went back up to look at the glowing blue cube.

"No one's come or gone," Barton explained, "Sulveig's clean. No contacts, no IMs." I looked over at Sulveig and the other scientist. They were both looking at the screen with shock setting in on their faces, "if there's any tampering, sir, it wasn't from this end." Barton crossed his arms and glanced back at the tesseract. I walked over to Sulveig and the other scientist while still listening to Barton and Fury's conversation.

Agent Barton POV

"At this end?" Fury asked me. I turned away from the tesseract to face him.

"Yeah, the cube, is a doorway to the other end of space right?" I asked rhetorically as I looked back at the cube, "doors open from both sides."

Erik Sulveig POV

"Aw, sh!t" I swore, looking at the screen of energy spikes. Dr Wallis was looking at the previous set of readings while the new, young, red-headed agent loitered around behind me, not saying a word.

The cube began to make noises and give off-the-chart readings. The last miniature explosion vibrated across the floor. Fury and Barton stepped away from the cube as it began to make the same noises and higher readings. I watched in wonder, unable to part my eyes as it fired a bright beam to the experiment deck, below the dome. A large, blue-outline of a portal opened up, showing a brief image of a dark, starry sky.

The sound of cracking electricity spread as the blue mist and portal spread wider and wider. It then gained more and more energy before smashing into itself and causing a large explosion of blue mist which washed over us. We all covered our eyes to not get blinded but opened the second it had passed as we wanted to see the results.

Grace POV

I had never witnessed anything like that in my life. It wasn't much of a contest but it was extraordinary! I looked down the room to the platform where there was a small ball of blue mist still lingering. I took a tentative step forward along with everyone else as the goons with guns lead, ready to fire. The blue mist evaporated off into steam as a crouching figure stood with a long gold, spear-like weapon. I pulled my gun out from my belt and held it ready.

Thanos POV

I was here. Earth. I had a light sweat on my brow but it was worth it. The staff was in front of me along with the tesseract. I glanced up to see humans. Quite a few of them. Some with pathetic, useless weapons. Others with science equipment and a few standing strong in opposition. I grinned evilly at my competition. They were no match for me.

_I hope they crush you, _Loki hissed. It seems he did not disappear from the journey. It was of no consequence. It was I who would crush them. Four armed humans slowly made their way down.

"Sir!" One of the bold ones ordered at me. He had dark skin, and wore black from head to toe. He also had an eye patch across his face, "put down the spear." How dare he order me around! These humans think themselves above me! I looked at the staff as if contemplating my choices when I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I looked back up at him and shot a well aimed bast at him. The paler one, standing beside him pushed him aside me fore my blast could hit him. Instead it hit some of their equipment; sending it up in sparks. The four armed men who were close to me fired at me with some strange metal that bounced off me. I dived down on one of them. The sharp end of my spear striking him straight through his heart. His partner backed off while the other two tried to hit me again.

I fired two knives at them, hitting them both in the throat and killing them. I fired another shot at the scientist, making her back off while the rest just took stance and used their useless weapons against me.

Grace POV

I was a man. He had long, slick, black hair with pale skin and icy blue eyes. The eyes were familiar, but at the same time, strange. He, himself, was familiar, but unknown as well. I used one of the jutted pillars as cover as I opened fire from my hand gun at him. The bullets bounced off him. It was no use. He wore a green outfit with dark brown, leather buckles and metal. The staff he had was gold but had an icy blue tip. It glowed like the tesseract. Maybe they were the same material. More agents fired bullets, not realising that they did not work on this man. He got fed up and fired at Barton and the rest of them. Barton managed to roll out of the way just in time but the blast hit the rest of them.

The man kicked another agent out of the way, hard against the wall before stopping. He looked around, spear at the ready, at the trashed lab. I hid in the corner, out of his sight as I knew that if I made any move, I would be dead or fatally injured.

I saw Barton get up and aim a blow at the other man, but he blocked it. Barton struggled but it was no use. I fought the urge to go help him as I knew Barton was a smart agent and I was a better asset to S.H.I.E.L.D alive, rather than dead.

"You have heart," He said. He had the same accent as me. Was he from my past life?

Thanos POV

I had one of them in my grasp. A fighter. I used the power that my spear had and put it to his heart. Not piercing the skin. Just pressing it so the power spreads. The distinct blue glow of the tesseract spread up his veins and reached his eyes, where they turned the same icy blue. The man stopped resisting and I chuckled with delight. It had worked.

_What did you do, Thanos? _Loki asked. I chuckled at my power. The fighter put away his weapon and calmed his breaths.

Grace POV

I saw Nick take the cube and place it in a special brief case while the man was pre-occupied. He was turning more and more agents like Barton. All with their similar coloured eyes. Fury sealed the silver briefcase and began to sneak out. I squeezed into a corner so not to get caught but still wanted to see what transpired around me.

"Please don't," the man's deep voice said out of the silence as Fury turned his back. He had been caught and was frozen in the same position, "I still need that."

"This doesn't have to get any messier," He replied. Turning his head to glance at his opponent.

"Of course it does," the man said, "I've come too far for anything else." Fury turned around to face him, "I am Loki, of Asgard. And I am burdened with glorious purpose."

"Loki?" Sulveig asked. He was awake and checking the pulse of the blonde doctor, "brother of Thor." The names rang a bell but it made my head hurt to think on it. Sulveig was now standing up.

"We have no quarrel with your people," Fury said calmly.

"An ant has no quarrel with a boot," Loki said dead calm.

"You planning to step on us?" Fury asked.

"I come with glad tidings," He said. I rolled my eyes. He trashes a lab, kills several armed guards and says that there is joyous news, "of a world made free."

"Free from what?" Fury asked as his face showed what I was thinking. The man was crazy. I tried to remember where I had een him and why his name brought on so many feelings but the acute pain in my head came back again.

"Freedom. Freedom is life's great lie, once you accept that, in your heart," he swiftly turned around to Sulveig and did the same thing with his spear to him that he did to Barton and some of the guards, "you will know peace."

"Yeah, you say peace, and I kinda think you mean the other thing," Fury spoke up.

"Sir, director Fury is stalling," Barton said. I thought, "Traitor" but realised he was not himself anymore. He walked over to Loki, "this place is about to blow adn drop a hundred feet of rock on us." I looked up to the gathering blue mist at the dome and realised Fury's plan, "he means to bury us."

"Like the fair rules of old," Fury replied.

"He's right. The portal is collapsing in on itself," the controlled Sulveig said looking at the monitor on the computer, "so we got about two minutes before this goes critical. Loki whipped his head around to look at Barton.

"Well then," he said simply. Barton raised his gun and shot Fury. He flew back, letting go of the briefcase which contained the tesseract. Loki and his new recruits marched past him, Barton going over and smoothly picking up the case on his way out.

Thanos POV

It went very well, even though a couple were a small resistance and the scientist was obviously the one Loki's adopted brother had met while on this planet.

_You are crazy, _Loki said.

_To everyone else, you are the crazy one, _I replied smugly.

I looked around the testing area before looking back at all the chaos I had created. A blur of red hair against the background of the trashed lab rushed to the black one's side. She looked up at me. Her hair was pinned back but her face had determination written all over it. I recognised the face, but I didn't have the time to study at closely. One person recognised her but dismissed it once I turned away.

_Grace? _Loki whimpered inside my head before we continued to escape.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 24: Mass destruction

Grace POV

Loki, a controlled Barton and Sulveig and a couple of controlled guards with guns marched their way to the door. Loki looked around the room, admiring his work. When they were close enough to the door, I ran out of my hiding spot to aid Director Fury. He had been shot in the chest but it had missed his heart. It was too low.

I looked up at the enemy as the were just about to go through the exit and Loki looked directly at me. He did not have enough time to kill nor control me as the building was now an ticking time bomb. We made direct eye contact. As my deep blue ones stared into his icy blue eyes, it flickered a deep green just before he turned away. His face expressed recognition. Did Loki know me? I shook off the thought and try to raise Fury to a sitting position.

Fury gave a groan of pain at the movement but sat up and looked at my eyes. Making sure I wasn't controlled.

"Grace?" He asked, "how the hell did you stay normal?"

"I hid from Loki after I realised my bullets didn't work on him. I then stayed there and watched. I was going to help Barton, Sulveig and you but I didn't want to risk myself being controlled and allowing Loki full access to my ability."

"Good, agent," he congratulated. I got out his walky-talky and pressed it in his right hand, "What's this for?"

"Agent Hill is going to let Barton escape unless you tell her that he has been compromised," I explained. He pressed the button on the walky-talky as I went to his chest to pull out the bullet.

"Hill!" he shouted, "Do you COPY!" I tugged out the sharp bullet at the end of his sentence, "Barton is compromised."

We heard bullets being fired as I placed Fury's other had over the wound to stop the bleeding. I went to the other side of him and pulled him up with his right arm over my shoulder. I grabbed the walky-talky and held it to Fury's face as we began to make our escape.

"Get the tesseract, shut it down," He ordered before I took it away.

Agent Hill POV

I jumped into another car and sped after Barton and the mysterious man with a spear.

Thanos POV

A vehicle with flashing lights on it sped after us and began firing their useless weapons at me. Their feeble attempt to stop me. I held the sceptre out in front of me and fired a blast directly to where the metal balls were coming from. The side of the car was damaged from the blast and I had obviously shot the driver as the car went haywire by crashing in the wall and flipping over onto it's top. This stopped all the traffic behind us.

_That couldn't have been Grace, _Loki denied. He was still going on about the red-headed agent.

_Yes, It couldn't have been, She's dead, _I said bluntly. I could feel Loki going sad, _she is dead, Loki. Get over it._

_Never in a million years or any lifetime known, _Loki replied, _I love her. _

I let out an internal groan of disgust.

Director Fury POV

The explosion was building up. Grace and I scrambled out of the hall and up the stairs. My chest hurt but it was the last thing on my mind at the minute.

Metal rods, ladders and science equipment all fell around us. Sparks flew everywhere we turned.

Grace was holding me up as we began to make our way back to the chopper. If it wasn't there we were dead people but it wasn't authorised to leave without me on board or a senior agent authorising it to go.

Agent Coulson POV

I was out the front with only a handful of agents left as we were packing up the remainder of the science equipment from the labs above ground. We were just about the load the last couple of boxes before a tremor shook beneath our feet, making the men and the boxes topple to the ground. This made me realise that the explosion was closer than I expected.

"Let's go!" I ordered, waving the men down to the cargo truck. Some of them bent down to pick the boxes up. We did not have time to lift them and load them, "Leave it! Go!" I pushed them towards the cargo truck, abandoning the equipment.

Agent Hill POV

I had seen the blockage down the tunnel and decided to take the twin tunnel beside it at twice the speed to I could overtake Barton and stop them from getting away the tesseract.

I swerved into the other tunnel and, coincidently, in front of Barton. I swung around to face him, expecting him to stop. But he did not. He rammed into me with his headlights crashing into mine. He began to accelerate while driving me backwards. I pull out my gun and try and fire shots at him to make him stop. He did the same.

Agent Coulson POV

We all clambered into the cargo truck as it sped away from the base. I had to make sure Director Fury was ok. I reached down to get my walk-talky.

"We're clear upstairs, sir," I said, "you need to go."

"Thanks Phil. We're making our way to the chopper now," a British, female voice replied. Grace. I gave a small sigh of relief.

Grace POV

We were almost at the helicopter. The ground was beginning to crack under our feet, the lampost beside us shattered in sparks as I helped Director Fury into the helicopter and climbed in after him and closed the door as it began to take off.

Agent Hill POV

I was nearing the end of my ammunition when Barton stopped firing. Had he ran out of bullets too? He shook the car to flick me out of the way to he could get through the narrower tunnel. I had momentarily lost control of the car until I managed to get back and speed down the tunnel to chase after them. I could feel the building about to collapse.

Director Fury POV

I was in the chopper with Grace as we were now reaching a safe height. I saw the ground continue to crack below us. The building looked like it was going through a very powerful ripple. The ground raised up before crashing down with several explosions popping up in several different areas.

It looked as if the earth itself was swallowing the base. I looked out with disappointment as the building crumbled and disappeared before my eyes.

"It's gone then," Grace said beside me,

"Yes," I replied.

Thanos POV

The ceiling was beginning to collapse behind the pursuing agent. I also hoped we made it out of here alive otherwise the tesseract would be lost and I would have been placed in Loki's body for no reason other than to fail.

_But you could immediately go back to your old body whereas I would be trapped, _Loki muttered bitterly. He did have a point.

Agent Hill POV

Rocks began to fall on me as the seismic tremor caused the rocky ceiling to fall on me. It was getting closer and closer to me. Adrenaline shot through my system as I continued to navigate my way around the falling clumps of rock with my foot stepping harder and harder on the acceleration pedal.

Agent Coulson POV

We were driving through all the S.H.I.E.L.D satellite dishes as they began to get sucked down. It was a scary but oddly fascinating sight. I looked out in horror as the large, strong, metal satellite dishes slowly disappeared along with most of the road behind us. I feared for our lives as it was quite close to us and the driver better not run out of fuel or already be at full speed.

I worried for Agent Hill, who was probably still in pursuit with Loki. I worried for Director Fury, the main man to our organisation. But I worried the most about Grace, she had been on this Earth for the shortest amount and barely had memory from a past life and she could almost die this way. At the hands of a man who was most likely the same species.

Agent Hill POV

I wasn't quick enough. The rock continued to fall but this time it was directly above me. I continued to push harder and harder on the accelerate but it wasn't working. My car hit a direct halt when a large rock landed directly in front. Causing me to fly forward but my seatbelt stopped me and pulled me right back sharply.

Thanos POV

We had done it. I had escaped. The agent that had been pursuing us had been trapped in the rock and we escaped!

_Only by the skin of your teeth, _Loki grumbled. I hadn't planned to get captured just yet but all in good time. We drove onto the open road in the fresh air with the wind blowing around me. I heard the sound of some vehicle but there wasn't one on the road. I looked up and there was some sort of aircraft hovering above me.

With a screech of the tires Barton spun around to a dirt road. He continued to drive. The pushed up the dust that swirled around me, obscuring us from the aircraft's view. I stood up and looked in the direction the vehicle was facing but looking up at the sky where the aircraft was.

The door slid open to reveal the man with the eyepatch I had shot when I collected the tesseract. He began to use one of his hand held midguardian weapons on the car. But he wasn't shooting at me. He was shooting at the driver. We needed to move so I fired a blast at the aircraft and it began to fall out of the sky.

Grace POV

Loki had shot the helicopter. I grabbed Fury and we jumped out as the helicopter crashed into the grass beside us. It's wings continued to spin until the ground chopped most of them off. I left Fury on the grass to go check the pilot.

He was bleeding with his eyes closed. I put two of my fingers to his neck. No pulse. He was dead.

"Pilot's dead," I said walking back to Director Fury. I looked off in the direction the escapees were headed. Loki had escaped with the tesseract, a S.H.I.E.L.D operative and a scientist. Fury was on his knees with his gun out in front of him. He was still trying to shoot Loki. He was too far away. No shot would have reached him.

"Director?" Phil's voice came through the walky-talky in my pocket as Fury stood up, "Director Fury, do you copy? Grace? Agent Holmes, do you copy?"

I handed the device to Director Fury.

"The tesseract is with a hostile force. I have men down. Hill?" Fury replied. Loki had escaped but there had been no sign of Agent Hill. My stomach knotted in worry.

"A lot of men still under," her voice came through. I breathed a sigh of relief while Fury remained emotionless, "don't know how many survivors."

"Sound the general call. I want every living soul not on rescue looking for that briefcase," Fury ordered, "Coulson, get back to base. This is a level 7. As of right now, we are at war."

War. The word echoed in my head as Fury turned off the walky-talky and threw it at me. I caught it and put it back in my pocket.

"What about me sir?" I asked.

"Take some time off, Holmes. You deserve it after your actions last night. Go spend some time with that boyfriend before I call you back to duty," he ordered. He knew about Daniel, of course he did he was Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D, "and I may be stepping in to have a chat with your room mate."

"What for?" I asked but I already knew the answer.

"We're going re-activate the avengers initiative." He replied.

**Author's Note: Hey, part 2 is now up. Please enjoy and please review as I got barely any on my last chapter. I need to you guys to review so I know if I'm doing stuff right or wrong. Please keep reading and if you are a new reader, please let me know. Please review, tell me your thoughts, both praise an constructive criticism is welcome.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE AVENGERS!**


	26. Chapter 25 part 2

**Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to Kira Tsumi who has been one of my best reviewers and is one of my followers that continues to encourage me to write the chapters in this story so...Thank you Kira Tsumi and here is Chapter 25!**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN THE AVENGERS!**

Chapter 25: The widow and the Hulk

Agent Coulson POV

We had to go back and regroup after the disaster at one of our science facilities a couple of nights back. I was relieved when Fury told Grace to take some time off. The girl needed to spend some time with Daniel and it kept her out of the messy situation that was the avengers initiative. She only knew of it because she got me to spill after several beers in celebration of our first completed mission together.

First things, first; I needed to pull Natasha Romanov out of her mission. We needed all our top agents since Loki had managed to escape a high security science lab, swarming with agents, with not only the tesseract but one of our top agents and our best specialist scientist.

I held the phone to my ear as it began to ring. I looked down at the computer screen in front of me which showed her co-ordinates and a thermal image of her and her interrogators. She was looking into a stolen art and illegal weapons trade that was going on in Russia.

Natasha Romanov POV

One of the goons' phones rang. It was probably the one furthest away as the one holding my mouth open did not ring. The moron in the middle was trying to be as threatening as possible but was giving away all his information and he did not even know it!

The goon in the corner blushed before turning away and answering the call. Within a couple of seconds he handed it to his boss. Before the bost could get a full sentence in, a very familiar voice came out the speaker.

"You're at 1 14 Solinski Plaza, third floor," Agent Phil Coulson's voice said through the phone, "we have an F22 exactly 8 miles out. Put the woman on the phone or I will blow up the block before you can make the lobby."

What was Coulson doing! Didn't he know I was on a mission! He must have tracked me down using the tracker in my arm. What could be so damn important that he couldn't wait until I had finished? The moron tucked the phone in between my left shoulder and ear.

"We need you to come in," he said bluntly. Was he being serious?

"Are you kidding me. I'm _working_," I replied harshly.

"This takes precedence," he replied automatically.

"I'm in the middle of an interrogation and this moron is giving me everything," I replied. It was true.

"I don't give...everything," the moron in question denied. I gave him a "Shut up idiot" look and they went back to an impatient and awkward silence.

"Look," I said, "you can't pull me out of this right now."

"Natasha," he said, "Barton's been compromised." That was the straw that broke the camel's back. After what Clint had done for me in Budapest, I was indebted to him and I would never admit it, even under extreme torture, that my feelings for Agent Clint Barton were a little more than friendship or a need to pay off a debt.

"Let me put you on hold," I replied. I needed to get out of here. I signalled to the man to take the phone away. He was so oblivious. He bent forward and took the phone.

I kicked him hard in the leg, making him fall to his knees and then head-butted him on the head to knocking him out. I ran over, still attached to the chair, and knocked one of the goons back while the other one swung a punch at me. I ducked and knocked him hard in the back with the side of my chair. I rolled across the ground to knock away the gun before they could get it. I lowered my chair on one of the men's feet, which made him bend down in pain. I flicked my head back which made him even more disorientated than before and flipped him over using the legs of my chair and sweeping him off his feet. The other one came and attacked me again but I still managed to kick him hard and use the chair to my advantage.

Agent Coulson POV

I knew Barton would be the final straw for her. No matter how well she thinks she is hiding her feelings, there are times when the mask does slip and we all see it.

I waited patiently as the groans of battle and pain came through the speaker.

Natasha Romanov POV

I used the crouched form of one of the goons to launch myself on the chair down onto the other goon. This knocked him out and left the chair in many shattered, wooden pieces all over the floor. The last man standing grabbed me from behind. I struggled, trying to shake him off. I bent his right hand down, making him cry out in pain. I hit him with one of the long poles of wood from the chair before kicking him in the chest. I bounced right off but landed in a crab's bend and sprung right back onto my feet. I was glad I wasn't wearing my heels for this. I charged at the final man and pulled him straight down to the ground with my legs.

The main moron was waking up so I walked over, grabbed the hanging chain, twisted it around his right ankle and left him handing down a pit upside down. I picked up the phone and my black stilettos.

"So where's Barton now?" I asked walking out of the building.

"We don't know," Coulson replied. That wasn't useful.

"But he's alive?" I asked.

Agent Coulson POV

"We think so," I replied. I was looking at a video of Barton and Natasha on one of their missions. They were the best team, "I'll brief you on everything when we get back. But first we need you to talk to the big guy." I took the file off one of the other agents. I was stuck with the ever so annoying and arrogant Mr Stark, but Natasha had the real tough job. I guess that's why she was needed. She had to go and convince Bruce Banner/the Hulk to come in and help us.

"Coulson, you know that Stark trusts me about as far as he can throw me," she replied.

"Oh, I've got Stark. You get the big guy," I replied smugly.

Natasha Romanov POV

The big guy. A.K.A Bruce Banner/the incredible Hulk. I was going to have quite a time trying to convince him to come back and not let the Hulk make an appearance.

"Boja Moi" I said before leaving the run down warehouse and focusing on my new mission; locate Bruce Banner.

Within a week of being authorised to look at our trackers on him, I had found Bruce Banner and followed him to Calcutta, India. It was a dirty, loud, crowded city in India with old shacks and three-wheeled took-tooks*.

Bruce Banner POV

A viral fever was sweeping through the lower social classes of Calcutta, India. I decided to remove myself from America and all the people there. Including the ones who wanted to test on me. I was now a doctor who floated about the lower classes. It was a fulfilling job and it made me feel better to use my brain instead of the other guy to help.

I had just finished up with one of the many people who had caught the fever that was going around. I felt sorry for them. They had no money for the proper medicine and had never been vaccinated against this sort of disease. I washed my hands with the luke-warm water out of the red jug in the sink provided. I heard the father ask what someone was doing here. I looked through the mirror and saw a small girl, no older than 6 years old, with her head just showing through the banister.

She kept saying how her father was sick and she needed a doctor. She had long dark hair, dark skin and dark eyes.

"Calm down," I said in her native language. I learned to pick it up while travelling around. The girl fell silent.

"My father..." she trailed off. I crouched down and pointed to the two sick children in the bed.

"Does he look like that?" I asked. In her fist she had a small bundle of crumpled up money.

"Yes," she said. Tears were beginning to well in her eyes as her voice cracked with emotion. She shook the fist containing the money again. I nodded and relief washed over her face. I said goodbye to that family and followed her through all the crowded streets to a small shack on the outskirts of the town. An armoured car carrying men with guns passed in front of us. I held the girl back while I looked away.

I didn't like to see men with guns. It upsets me and the other guy. We continue to the house. We go through the front door, that didn't have a door. It just had some ripped pieces of cloth hanging from it. It opened up into a large middle living space and other rooms just off from it. I continued to follow the young girl to what looked like a bedroom and then she climbed up on the bed and jumped out the window. I leant against a wooden pole.

"Shoulda got paid out front Banner," I muttered to myself.

"You know for a man who's meant to be avoiding stress, you picked a hell of a place to settle," a female, American voice said behind me. It was a tall, slender woman with pale skin and short, red hair. She was wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt, a sarong and a wrap around scarf.

"Avoiding stress isn't the secret," I replied calmly. I set my bag down on the steps beside me.

"Than what is it? Yoga?" she asked.

"You brought me to the edge of the city, smart," I commented.

Natasha Romanov POV

I had managed to get Dr Banner to a place outside the city, that if something did go wrong, there wouldn't be as many casualties. He was pacing nervously around the room. I couldn't blame him. He was fidgeting with his hands as well.

"I uhhhhh...assume the whole place is surrounded?" he asked, looking out one of the dusty windows into the darkness outside.

"Just you and me," I replied calmly, setting my scarf down on a chair, "and 25 armed men hiding around the perimeter" I added silently in my head.

"And your actress buddy," he said pointing off into nowhere but referring to the little girl I paid to lure him here, "is she a spy too, they start that young." He knew exactly who I was.

"I did," I replied. It was true.

"Who are you?"

"Natasha Romanov," I replied. He did a small gesture with his hands.

"Are you here to kill me, Miss Romanov? 'Cause that's not going to work out." he was smart to assume that as that is what most of my missions entail, "for everyone."

"No. Of course not, I am here on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D," I replied.

"S.H.I.E.L.D," he repeated, "how'd they find me?"

"We never lost you doctor," I explained, "we've kept our distance. Even keep some other interested parties off your scent."

"Why?"

"Nick Fury seems to trust you," I replied, trying to gain his trust, "but now we need you to come in."

"What if I say no."

"I'll persuade you," I said with a smile. Banner didn't trust or believe me.

"And what if the...other guy says no," he said looking at me.

"You've been more than a year without an incident, I don't think you want to break that streak," I replied walking around the room.

"Well, I don't, everytime, get what I want," he replied.

"Doctor, we are facing a potential global catastrophe," I said looking on my phone. He gave a small laugh.

"Well those I actively try to avoid," he chuckled. I pulled up a photo of the tesseract as I moved back around the room to a chair. I showed him the photo.

"This," I said holding the photo up to him before sitting down and sliding the phone across the table to him, "is the tesseract. It has the potential energy to wipe out the planet." Doctor Banner put his glasses on before he took a closer look at the tesseract.

"What does Fury want me to do? Swallow it?" He asked.

"He wants you to find it," I explained, "it's been taken. It emits a gamma signature that's too weak for us to trace. There's no one who knows gamma radiation like you do. If there was, that's where I'd be."

"So Fury isn't after the monster," he replied taking off his glasses.

"Not that he's told me."

"And he tells you everything?" He asked. Fury barely tells you what you need to know, let alone everything else.

"Talk to Fury, he needs you on this," I persuaded, leaning forward.

"He needs me in a cage?"

"No one is going to put you in a c-"

"STOP LYING TO ME!" he shouted, throwing his fists down on the table. He was getting angry. I acted quickly and pulled out the hidden gun under the table and pointed it directly at him. He recoiled and his mood changed dramatically.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely which through me into deep confusion, "that was mean. I just wanted to see what you'd do." He raised his hands to try and calm me, "Why don't we do this the easy way where you don't use that and the other guy doesn't make a mess. Ok?"

I looked at him over to see if he was still a threat.

Bruce Banner POV

It was certainly a typical reaction but now there was a gun pointed at my head.

"Natasha?" I asked tentatively. She lowered the gun and touched her ear.

"Stand down," she ordered softly. Of course there were others. I heard the faint clicking of disarming guns, "We're good here."

"Just you and me," I replied sarcastically.

Director Fury POV

I had been called into a council meeting. I hated them. I was put under the scrutiny of several anonymous people everytime I do something unsatisfactory to them. There is a lot of stuff that is unsatisfactory to them.

"This is outta line, Director," one of the councilmen said, "you're dealing with forces you can't control."

"You ever been in a war, councilmen?" I asked, "in a firefight? Did you feel an over-abundance of control?"

"You're saying that this Asgard has declared war on our planet?"

"Not Asgard," I corrected, "_Loki_."

"He can't be working alone," one of the councilwomen piped up, "What about the other one? His brother."

"Intelligence says Thor's not a hostile," I replied. The woman continued to make notes, "But he's worlds away. We can't depend on him to help either. It's up to us."

"Which is why you should be focusing on Phase 2. It was designed for exactly this purpose-"

"Phase 2 isn't ready," I interrupted, "Our enemy is. We need a response team."

"The avengers initiative was shut down."

-"this isn't about the avengers."

"We're running the world's most covert security network and you're gonna leave the fate of the human race to a handful of freaks." My anger was now beginning to build.

"I'm not leaving anything to anyone. We need a response team. These people may be isolated, unbalanced even. But I believe with the right push, they can be exactly what we need."

"You believe?" the same woman asked.

"War isn't won by sentiment," a councilman interjected gravely.

"No, it's won by soldiers," I said firmly. Before the council had anymore faults of mine to point out, I severed the link, "time to call in the captain," I said to myself before calling Grace.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: A punching bag confrontation

Grace POV

I loved having a couple of weeks to spend with Daniel and subtly prepare Steve for the inevitable meeting with Director Fury. I didn't know much about the avengers initiative, other than the outine I pestered out of a tipsy Phil Coulson. I knew Steve was on the list.

I walked into the kitchen mid-morning to see Steve on his usual seat at the island, talking to Daniel. I was still in my pjs while they were in there in ordingary clothes. Daniel was looking incredibly sexy in his casual t-shirt and frayed jeans while Steve was as well groomed and put together as ever. He was in the blue, long-sleeved t-shirt that I bought for him when he first arrived and dark skinny jeans.

"Morning all," I said walking around to the fridge and pulled out the carton of orange juice. I poured myself a glass, put the carton back into the fridge and gave Daniel a small peck on the lips.

"Ugh," groaned Steve from across the table, "that's one way to put me off eating for the rest of the day."

"Chill, Steve, it's only a kiss," Daniel mocked. I chucked and took a sip of my orange juice.

"What are you both planning to do today?" I asked. I knew Fury's call was just around the corner. I felt sorry for Steve. He was about to be sucked into the crazy world known as the avengers initiative. From what I knew from Coulson, this was not going to be easy to go back into civilian life.

"Gym," Steve answered simply but then elaborated, "I need to use the bags."

"Cool. I have a couple of house calls today and..." Daniel looked at his watch, "I have to be on the other side of town in an hour."

"Oh," I said, "We better not hold you back, Dr Gavon." Daniel was a doctor. He was doing good without using a gun and I respected him for that.

"That reminds me, I have a medical conference in Stuttgart, Germany and I would like you to come with me," he said standing up and walking over to me, "While I'm away you can sight-see and it's only for one night which I am going to a special, black tie event in a very fancy buiding."

"That sounds awesome! I would love to go!" I said so excited. I threw my hand around him and gave him a deep, passionate kiss. We continued until Steve gave an awkward cough which made us break awkwardly.

"And that's my cue to leave," Daniel pointed awkwardly. As soon as he left, I shot Steve a look.

"You didn't have to be rude!"

"I wasn't rude! I was just making sure my breakfast stay down in my stomach," he said. I rolled my eyes, "Ok, before you kill me, I'm going to go to the gym now."

"I'd never kill you," I denied, "but leave now before I lunge out and tickle you to the couch."

"Ok, see ya!" he said before leaving with his duffel bag and punch bag.

My phone rang. I lifted it off the phone table. Unknown number, A.K.A; Fury.

"Agent Holmes," He greeted.

"Director Fury," I replied.

"Well?" He asked and I knew exactly what he was asking.

"He's on his way to the nearby gym. He only goes when it's empty so he'll be alone," I replied.

"Thank you, Agent Holmes," he replied.

"Director Fury?" I asked quickly before he hung up.

"Yes?"

"Be gentle about it," I requested.

"Ok," he replied and hung up.

Steve Rogers POV

I puched hard on the first bag that I had brought. I let all my anger and confusion flow out with the punches. The bag continued to swing as I sung hard, sharp punches to the centre. I was in my work out clothes and the sweat was already moist on my brow and sticky in my hair. I remembered one of the battles I was in when I was back in my own time.

_We were running through the woods. I was flanked by soldiers on either side. Brave men who wanted to help their country and, surprisingly, me. Bombs were going off on either side, bullets were flying past my ears. The cries of battle from the men around me. Men who were there to serve their country._

I continued to hit the bag harder and harder.

_Hydra soldiers firing their super weapons at me at the Hydra base. The super weapons powered by the cube. The same noises filled my ears as I remembered using my shield. My super-shield. I remembered kicking Hydra soldiers and fighting with all my strength to stop the monstrosity from getting out. _

I punched harder and harder again as the last conversation I had with Peggy filled my head.

_"There's not enough time." I said, "I gotta put her in the water."_

_I steered the ship down into a nose dive. _

I kept hitting the bag harder and harder as images of the damn cube filled my head and the bomb noises and whizzing of bullets filled my ears.

_"You won't be alone," Peggy_ said.

Her voice filling my ears while I punched harder. Her photo on the controls as I crashed flashed through my brain. When the men found me in the ice. I could hear a faint voice saying "oh my god. This guy's still alive." I punched harder and harder until I let al of my anger go out in one single blow which sent the bag flying. The sand from inside spilled out a split in the bag. I stopped to catch my breath as I looked at the battered punching bag.

I wiped some of the sweat off as I grabbed another bag and hooked it in place. I began to punch until a voice interrupted.

"Trouble sleeping?" the unmistakeable voice of Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D echoed in the empty gym.

"Grace tell you?" I said knowing it was the only knowledgeable explanation.

"She is one of my agents," he replied.

"Although I slept for 70 years. I think I've had my fill," I replied as I continued to punch.

"Then you should be out," he suggested, "celebrating. Seeing the world."

"When I went under," I said between gasps. I started to unravel the tape around my hands, "the world was at war. I wake up; they say we won. They didn't say what we lost."

"We've made some mistakes along the way," he replied, "some very recently." I looked over at him. With his signature eye patch and head to toe black outfit. He was holding a small brown file with the S.H.I.E.L.D emblem on it.

"You're here with a mission, sir?" I asked. Grace had been subtly hinting at it since she got off duty.

"I am," he replied.

"Trying to get me back in the world?" I asked.

"Trying to save it," he replied opening the file and showing it to me. I took it. It was a picture of the cube. It was named the tesseract.

"Hydra's secret weapon," I muttered to myself. I began to flick through the pages.

"Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean when he was looking for you," Fury explained, "He thought what _we_ think. The tesseract could be the key to unlimited, sustainable energy. That's something the world sorely needs."

"Who took it from you?" I asked, handing the file back to him.

"He's called Loki. He's not from around here," Fury replied. What was that supposed to mean? "There's a lot we'll have to bring you up to speed on if you're in. I'm sure Grace could do the job well. The world has gotten even stranger than you already know."

"At this point I doubt that anything would surprise me," I replied.

"Ten bucks says you're wrong," he betted. I grabbed my duffel bag and lifted one of the punching bags, "there's a de-briefing packet left back at you're apartment and if you get lost, consult Grace."

I began to leave for the changing rooms.

"Is there anything about the tesseract that we ought to know now?" He asked.

"You should have left it in the ocean," I replied before going to take a shower.

I lifted a fresh shirt out of my locker, turned around and found Grace smiling back at me.

"This is the men's locker room," I said, tugging the shirt over my head.

"I know," she replied and sat down on the bench in front of me, "but I just wanted to check how you were feeling."

"How long have you known?" I asked, wondering how long she had to subtly drop hints and not be able to tell me the whole truth.

"Fury called me in a couple of minutes after you left."

"And you gave him my location?"

"He's my boss, of course I did."

"Where are you going to this time?" I asked.

"Some information analysis lab in Tibet," she answered, "they want me to use my ability to see if I can put two and two together or some other, strange thing."

"Sounds like fun," I joked sarcastically, "what about that Germany trip with Daniel?"

"I've been authorised time off for that. There is no way I am missing that trip," She said with determination. Her phone beeped and she chuckled at whatever she had received, "Phil has to go fetch Tony Stark, or as he is more commonly referred to in S.H.I.E.L.D, the arrogant billionaire." My mind latched onto the name.

"Stark?" I asked, "like Howard Stark?"

"Yeah, his son. Just as smart but..._huge_ ego problem."

"Sounds like a handful. I feel for Phil, even though I've never met him," I replied.

"You have met him," she said but I shot her a confused look, "but you were unconscious at the time."

"Ah," I replied.

Grace POV

The conversation was slipping into an awkward silence.

"See ya at some point. Probably around S.H.I.E.L.D if you take the job," I said with a smile before leaving.

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Please review, favourite, follow, etc. I would really like to know what you guys think before I post another chapter so...till next time!**

**LMS;)**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: The genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist

Agent Coulson POV

It was days like this that I truly hate my job. I was in the lift on my way up to one of the top floors in the newly functional STARK tower. At least I got to stay in New York for once.

"JARVIS," I said. Greeting Stark's British AI, "Can you please alert Mr Stark that I am trying to call him."

"Of course, Agent Coulson," he replied. I continued to hold until JARVIS informed me, "I'm sorry Agent Coulson, but Mr Stark is out."

"JARVIS, I just saw him fly to the top of the tower," I replied. I was stuck in a left, arguing with a British AI.

Tony Stark POV

I landed on my built in landing pad. I was incredibly pleased with myself but I hated doing the press. That was, more or less, Pepper's job. I loved the fact that my amazing new girlfriend was also the CFO of my company.

I started walking towards the house as JARVIS stripped me of my Iron Man suit.

"Sir. Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D is on the line," JARVIS, my AI, said. What was Coulson doing here? What did S.H.I.E.L.D want me for? I had been put out of consideration for the Avengers Initiative.

"I'm not in," I replied. I didn't need Coulson around when I was celebrating with Pepper, "I'm actually out." JARVIS removed my helmet as I continued to walk to the door.

"Sir," JARVIS said again, "I'm afraid he's insisting." What was so important that couldn't wait until I _wanted_ to contact him?

"Throw's fine, JARVIS," I replied, "I gotta date." And I couldn't wait until it started.

I walked in to see Pepper looking at the energy levels.

"Levels are holding steady," she stated. Did she want them to fall, "I think." she bit her lip.

"Of course they are," I said with a know-it-all tone in my voice, "I directly involved, which brings me to my next question. How does it feel, to be a genius?"

"Wow," she replied, "ha. I really wouldn't know, would I."

"What do you mean?" I replied, "all of this, came from you." She looked incredibly sexy in her denim short shorts and I had an inkling that she was wearing one of my shirts. But she did look incredible in it.

"No," she contradicted, "came from that." She brushed the arc-reactor in chest with her fingertips.

"Give yourself some credit," I said, "please. Stark tower is your baby. Give yourself...12% of the credit."

"12%?" she asked. Uh-oh.

"An offer could be made for 15," I suggested. I did not say something right.

"12%!" she repeated louder, "my baby!"

"Well I did do most of the heavy lifting," I pointed out as we moved to the lounging area, "literally, I lifted the heavy things and...sorry but the security snafu? That was on you."

"Oh," she replied argumentatively while lifting a champagne bottle out of the ice.

"My apartment elevator."

"You mean _our_ elevator?" she corrected, pouring herself a glass of bubbly.

"It was teaming with sweaty workmen," I said sitting down, "I'm going to pay for that comment about percentages in some subtle way later, aren't I."

"Not gonna be that subtle," Pepper replied. Crap, why did I have to open my big mouth.

"Tell you what, next building is going to say Potts on the tower," I said taking one of the flutes of bubbly._  
_

"On the lease," Pepper bartered as she went to clink glasses. I pulled back with reluctance.

"Call you're mom, can you bunk over?" I asked jokingly.

"Sir, the telephone," JARVIS said, interrupting the moment as usual, "I'm afraid my protocols are being overridden."

Agent Coulson POV

After bartering the AI for a good 10 minutes, I managed to get into a loophole in it's protocols.

"Mr Stark, we need to talk," I ordered. I was done asking.

"You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark, please leave a message," I heard Pepper chuckle in the background which gave it away.

"It's urgent," I replied, ignoring his statement.

"Then leave it urgently," he replied just as I had made it to the top floor to see the one and only Tony Stark. Arrogant Billionaire and personal pain in my ass and Director Fury's.

"Security breach," he said. He was in the small lounge space with Pepper. They both had champagne flutes in their hands. Must be a celebration about the success of Stark tower. No wonder he didn't want me around.

"Mr Stark," I greeted and announced.

"Phil!" Pepper said joyfully in greeting. I liked Pepper Potts. She was probably the only thing about Tony Stark that I actually liked. She allowed me to carry through with my orders and was a wonder at getting Mr Stark to do the things needed, "come in!"

"Phil?" Tony said in disgust. She grabbed her glass of champagne and went up to greet me properly.

"I can't stay," I said. Tony briskly followed her toward me.

"Uh, his first name is agent," he said pointing at me.

"Come on in, we're celebrating," she said.

"Which is why he can't stay," Tony muttered through his fake smile. It didn't faze me and I ignored it.

"We need you to look this over," I said, extending the file I had with me about the three members of the avengers initiative, towards him, "as soon as possible."

"I don't like to be handed things-"

"Which is great because I love to be handed things," Pepper jumped in and began working her magic, "so let's trade."

She took the file and gave me her champagne while she took Tony's champagne and replaced it with the file.

"Thank you," she said and took a sip out of Tony's - now her - champagne.

"Official consulting hours are between 8 and 5 every other...Thursday," Tony said stalling.

"This isn't a consultation."

"Is this about the avengers?" Pepper asked. My gaze flicked to her. Tony must have leaked the information. I couldn't blame him. Grace could take alcohol better than me and wormed her way into some answers when I was in a partially drunken haze, "which I know nothing about" she added briskly.

"The avengers initiative was scrapped," Tony said, opening the file and walking to one of his many work stations, "I thought, and I didn't even qualify!" he turned 360 degrees to glare at me for a split second before continuing his journey to the opposite side of the room.

"I didn't know that either," Pepper denied. I couldn't tell whether she was lying or not.

"Apparently I'm...volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others." he said.

"That I did know," Pepper joked.

"This isn't about personality profiles any more," I replied.

"Whatever," he said, "Miss Potts? Gotta sec?" he beckoned Pepper forward with a finger and not turning around to look at her.

"One sec," she breathed and walked over to Tony.

Tony Stark POV

I typed in my security code as Pepper stood beside me.

"You know I thought we were having a moment," I said.

"I was having 12% of the moment," she replied with a hint of attitude. I instantly regretted saying that, "this seems serious. Phil looks pretty shaken."

"How would you know - Why is he Phil?" I asked. Surprised at my girlfriend's casual use of the agent's first name.

"What is all this?" she asked changing the subject quite skilfully and looking down at the electronic file.

"This is, uh, this," I replied, enlarging the four profiles in the file. One was of Dr Bruce Banner who I knew for, mainly, his research but both myself and most of New York knew his other persona, The Hulk. The middle profile was of one, Captain Steven Rogers, A.K.A: Captain America. One of my dad's experiments that dropped off the grid, until now. Where did S.H.I.E.L.D find him? The third was of a curious man linked to Norse Gods and Mythology. Known as Thor, the God of thunder. Probably not true. And finally, the last one was of a young, red-headed woman, who goes by the name of Grace Holmes. Also believed to be of the same world as Thor but with no memory after she fell out of the sky. her profile intrigued me and I wanted to read further into it when Pepper wasn't around.

All of the profiles showed them in battle. The one with the woman showed the same skill as the PA/S.H.I.E.L.D agent Pepper had last year.

Agent Coulson POV

"I'm going to take the jet to DC tonight," Pepper said looking at all the profiles I had provided for Mr Stark. It was of Dr Banner, Captain Rogers, the man I once knew as Donald but was really Thor and Grace.

"Tomorrow," Tony argued.

"You have homework," she said, looking at the four profiles, "you have a lot of homework."

"But what if I, uh, didn't" Tony said detaching his eyes from the information and looking at Pepper.

"If you didn't?" Pepper replied, "you mean when you finished?" Tony nodded, "well." She went up to his ear. Tony's face was one of perverted surprise. That was exactly the expression I didn't need. The one that said: I'm having dirty talk whispered in my ear. I looked down at my feet and around the room in embarrassment.

"Square deal, flash 8," Tony's voice broke the silence. Pepper rewarded him with a kiss.

"Work hard," she said before walking back up to me and my undrunk champagne.

Tony Stark POV

Now I had to wait to redeem myself in Pepper's books. Why did S.H.I.E.L.D send me this stuff.

"So any chance you're driving past Laguardia?" She asked Coulson as she began to leave.

"I can drop you," he said as the both made their way out. I looked over the profiles.

"Fantastic," she said. Her voice getting further and further away, "Oh I want to hear about Cellist."

"She moved back to Portland." he replied. Their gossip continued but I couldn't hear the rest. I lifted the hologram of the cube. The tesseract. My dad had brought it out of the water.

I spent the rest of the night looking over a man named Erik Sulveig's notes and memorising every detail in the files. I had give my hat off to S.H.I.E.L.D for finding these people. The story of the woman was extremely curious. I loved her skill. The reading ability was very impressive. If I ever met her, I would test it out.

I stayed there until I eventually fell asleep on the couch.


	29. Chapter 28

**Author's Note: A quick thank you to LadySaphire for giving me the corrections in the previous chapter, I assure you that they have been fixed. Also an apology for not updating this yesterday. My computer went all funny and deleted three-quarters of this chapter. So thank you all for waiting...**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN THE AVENGERS!**

Chapter 28: The captain and the awkward agent

Steve Rogers POV

Grace came back for a day to wish me luck and that we'd see each other soon. She also said that it comforts you to have a friend be there when you leave.

"Do you know which agent is picking you up?" she asked while helping me fold my clothes and put them into a suitcase. We were in the guest/my bedroom, packing. She had lent me some books she got given from the anonymous Phil agent when she was in the facility.

"Do they tell you those sort of things?" I replied chuckling. She began to laugh as well.

"Fair point," she laughed.

"How's that...um...research thingy?" I asked, forgetting where she was away to after I left.

"The information analysis lab?" she asked rhetorically with a smirk, "dull."

"No, it cant be. It must be absolutely...riveting," I said, folding the last piece of clothing on my bed and sitting down on the far corner.

"Riveting?" she inquired incredulously.

"I hate you for getting me those books! They are changing the way I talk!" I complained. She finished packing the folded clothes and collapsed on the bed, beside me, laughing.

"Don't be so-" she stopped mid-sentence as her phone beeped, "Ugh." she groaned sitting up.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Fury," Grace said bluntly before giving a small smile, "It seems I'm to pick you up and take you half the journey."

"You're my ride?" I said, not quite believing my ears, "What did he say?"

Grace POV

"None of your business," I replied, shielding the phone and the text from Fury. He reached over me to try and grab my phone. I tuned the other way an rolled both of us off the bed. We continued to wrestle on the floor until he managed to rip in out of my hands at the last minute. I continued to try and swipe the phone from him but he stood up and put the phone an arm's length above my head. Even with me jumping on the bed would just cause me injury instead of getting my phone back. I was getting really good at angry birds. I finally knew what an addiction was. Steve too, although he would never admit it.

"You've got the day off so do something useful," he said between laughs and squinting to read the text, "drive you're flat mate to location Y by 14:00 where another agent will take over."

"Can I have my phone back now!" I said. My hair was ruffled from wrestling on the carpet. Steve handed over the phone with a disgruntled look. His hair was more of a mess that mine. I reached up to fix it while he straightened his leather jacket.

"They won't even say where this is!" he complained, "you don't even know where you're going!"

"No," I contradicted, "_you_ don't know where you're going. I know where location Y is."

"That's because you're the super secret agent that belongs to the equally secretive agency," he replied. I tapped him on the shoulder.

"Exactly," I said, "get your stuff. We need to go within the next five minutes."

"Ok," he said lifting the suitcase with ease, "Let's go."

The journey was filled with random gossip from both of us. Steve went on about all the strange things that had happened since I was trapped in that analysis lab. I told him about all the people that worked around me and they were as dull as the work.

When we arrived the agent awaiting our arrival in front of the heli-carrier was none other that Agent Phil Coulson. I got out of the car and ran to him.

"Phil!" I squeaked as he gave me a huge bear hug.

"I thought you were in that analysis lab?" he wondered.

"I was but I took leave to be there when Steve goes off to his first mission," I explained, "I did not expect to be his chauffeur as well."

"Fury?"

"Yeah, Fury," I replied and waved Steve over. I thought Phil was going to spontaneously combust from shock and adoration. He quickly composed himself to an emotionless, typically S.H.I.E.L.D pokerface. I had to stifle a giggle as he introduced himself.

"Agent Phil Coulson," he said in a monotone, extending his hand out. Steve took it and gave it a firm shake.

"Steve Rogers," he said before letting go, "so you are the infamous Phil. Grace has said many things about you."

"What? About me?" he said, not believing his ears.

"Only nice things I promise," I replied before looking at my watch.

Agent Phil Coulson POV

"I have to go," she said. It was her version of goodbye, "I'll talk soon and you'll both be fine." She turned to Steve, "you will survive and people will keep you right. I'll be there with you as soon as possible." She then turned to me, "look after him."

I gave her a sharp nod and watched with Captain Rogers as she got into the car and drove off. I ushered Captain Rogers into the heli-carrier and we took off.

The journey was long and was made significantly longer by the lack of conversation and the awkward silence in the back. I looked at the monitor and the results and graphs of something I didn't even know in the hope that it would make time pass quicker. I didn't trust myself to speak. I pulled back the feeling of a hormone-crazed school girl who had just come face to face with their favourite pop star and put on an emotionless mask.

"We're about 40 minutes out from home base, sir," one of the pilots told me from the cockpit. The silence wasn't making things any quicker, so I plucked up some courage and walked over to him.

"So this Dr Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me?" he asked. I was thankful he started the conversation. I had given him Dr Banner's file as they would be meeting fairly shortly.

"A lot of people were," I replied. Normal conversation, it was a good start. Keep calm, Phil, I told myself, "you were the world's first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula."

"Didn't really go his way, did it," he replied, his eyes not leaving the file.

"Not so much. When the guy's not that thing though, he's like a Stephen Hawking," Captain Rogers looked up at me with confusion in his eyes. Crap, the guy didn't know who Stephen Hawking was! How do you explain Stephen Hawking? "He's like a...smart person." I'm an idiot. I told myself not to speak anymore but my mouth had other plans, "I gotta say. It's an honour to meet you, officially." he gave a small smile, "I sorta met you, I mean. I watched you while you were sleeping." I sounded like a stalker! My brain then caught up with my mouth and tried to fix my mistakes.

"I mean I was present while you were unconscious," I said as the captain got up and went over to the cockpit. I was driving him away and that sentence wasn't much better! "from the...ice. You know it's really just a - just a huge honour to have you on board."

"Well I hope I'm the man for the job," he replied, looking down into the cockpit.

"Oh, you are," I was tempted to tell myself to shut up again. I never stopped, "absolutely. We, uh, made some modifications to the uniform. I had a little design input."

"The uniform?" he asked, turning to face me, "aren't the stars and stripes a little...old fashioned?" he asked.

"With everything that's happening," I answered honestly, "the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old fashion."

We slipped back into our seats and the same uncomfortable silence as before and waited eagerly when the heli-carrier landed.


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: The battle of minds

Thanos POV

I had found an area of abandoned, underground tunnels. The walls were a darkened red-brick, that built up to form archways that could pass as royal if they were a different colour. After a day of escaping, I had already built up my ranks to a sizeable number of people who were of use. The floor was constantly covered in puddles and the ceiling leaked occasionally but it was of little consequence.

I had managed to gain many humans with knowledge on how to use their weapons and who were also enemies of S.H.I.E.L.D, the organisation against me. Many tunnels wormed their way around underground, giving us easy access to the land above, but they all lead to a heart. It was like many tributaries running together to form a river. We kept the portal-in-progress there for development.

It must have been some form of underground station as it had lights, pillars and enough space to house all those under my power, the portal-in-progress and the other pieces of electrical equipment and stolen science experiments. Many of those controlled were of no consequence and could be easily disposed of at any time.

_You really are the cruellest being in the universe, _Loki hissed.

Loki was still there and still annoyed I took over his body. I sat in a secluded corner with a good view of all of my workers and my sceptre in hand.

_Workers? They're slaves! _Loki contradicted.

_Is there a difference? _I replied. To say Loki and I weren't getting along well was an understatement. We hated each other without reservation. There was no part of our souls, deep down or not, that had a different feeling other than hate and anger. I could not wait to get out of his body and crush Loki.

_Charming, _he replied dryly, _let's just hope you're force is as formidable as you claim._

_Do you question me, Asgardian? Do you question my superior? _I hissed back.

_So what if I do!_

_You question he who put the sceptre in your hands! _I replied furiously, _he who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose when you were cast out, defeated!_

_I was a king! _he shouted back, _the rightful king of Asgard!_

_But of course you're family had to get in the way, _I replied.

_What would you know about family, _Loki snarled before sending me crashing into one of his childhood memories.

_...I sat in the healing room with several healers flustering and running about in a panicked state. I was about 9. My nose wasn't that sore now but I could only see out of one eye. I scanned the room, looking for someone, at least, vaguely familiar. And then a loud shriek and the patter of a single pair of frantic footsteps came from the side of the room where I was blind._

_"Loki! What in Vallhalla happened?" it was my mother. Finally, someone I knew was here. She put something cold on where the swelling on my eye was. I winced at the temperature before acclimatising and taking deep breaths as the healers tried to stop the steady stream of blood that was coming out of my nose._

_"I went to go find Thor, to show him my new trick, but he was with his friends, playing battle," my mother could see what was about to unfold, "Volstagg was going to hurt Thor so I made him trip over a root that I conjured - my new trick - but Sif saw me doing it. She started screaming "cheater!" at me. I denied it knowing that I would get hurt but then Fandral joined in and eventually Volstagg. Thor called them off and said that he was going to find a maid to get refreshments. And you can probably guess the rest."_

_"Oh, Loki," mother pulled me into her embrace. I could hear the steady beating of her heart that immediately calmed me down._

_"Why don't they like me, mother?" I asked. My voice was muffled from her cloth but she heard me._

_"I don't know, Loki," she said kneeling down and looking up at me. She wiped a single tear that had gently began to trickle out of my only visible eye, "but I like you. In fact, I _love_ you.__ Your brother does too."_

_"Really?" I asked, still sniffing, "but Sif, Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun don't like me."  
_

_"Loki, not everyone has to like you. It's just the one's that are essential in your life and the one's who like you for who you are," mother replied. I dried my tears and gave her another hug. The bleeding out of my nose had stopped and I held the bag of ice back on my eye. _

_At that moment Thor walked in to see me covered in dried blood and with a black, fully swollen eye._

_"Loki!" he squeaked, running towards me, "what happened?"_

_"Your friends don't like me," I replied bitterly and then switched to innocence, "I was only trying to help, honest!"_

_"That's nonsense! My friends like you Loki!" Thor argued._

_"That's not what they told me," I muttered bitterly._

_"Thor, I suggest you talk to your friends. If this happens again, they will have me to talk to," mother ordered gently. I had forgotten she was still there._

_"And me, mother," this brought a smile to my face. At least I could count on my family. Thor ran off to tell his friends what had happened and they never did the same thing to me again. Once I was older, they couldn't._

Loki forced me out of the memory with a surge of power. He was getting stronger. The fight to keep this body was getting harder. I didn't care for the body, just it's uses. Sadly, I could not have picked a more stubborn host.

_That was your own fault, _Loki smirked.

_Shut up! _I said getting agitated and ignored him for the rest of the day.

**Author's Note: Just a little mind warfare between Loki and Thanos. Please review, favourite, follow and keep reading as it's starting to build up to something fairly significant.**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN THE AVENGERS OR THOR!**


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Is this a submarine?

Natasha Romanov POV

I had just collected Dr Banner and taken him to home base. I had just received word from Director Fury at the bridge that Coulson had landed. I went onto the landing strip to find the heli-carrier slowly braking to a complete halt. I wondered in my head how Dr Banner and the newly found Captain would get along.

The S.H.I.E.L.D home base was like a super-modified air force base. It looked like an ordinary air force ocean base from the outside. But like everything with S.H.I.E.L.D; there's more than what meets the eye.

I walked over to the opening exit at the back of the heli-carrier along with two other attendants in luminous orange. I saw Agent Coulson and Captain Rogers emerging in a light conversation as I walked up to them.

"Agent Romanov," he acknowledged. He gave a small, proud smile before saying, "this is Captain Rogers." For a while I expected him to say Captain America. But I knew that wouldn't happen as that would be unprofessional and S.H.I.E.L.D agents are anything but unprofessional.

"Ma'am," he greeted. I had never been called ma'am before. It made me feel old. But I suppose it was how he was brought up and he is around 90 years old.

"Hi," I replied passively. I turned to Coulson to relay the message I had been given from the bridge, "they need you on the bridge. They're about the start the face trace."

"See you there," he said walking out of the conversation and brushing past me. I wanted to join him immediately. The sooner we find Loki, the sooner we can locate Clint and bring him back.

"There's quite the buzz around here," I said casually to Captain Rogers as we began to walk. As much as I wanted to find Clint, I had to indulge myself, just once, in a little gossip. I began with Coulson and the information Grace had supplied me with, "finding you in the ice. Thought Coulson was gonna swoon."

Steve pulled a face as though he knew what I meant. Coulson had been unprofessional on the heli-carrier, the idiot. I decided to continue, knowing the buzz would eventually reach Coulson. Whether he'd be thankful or enraged was a different story.

"Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?" I asked. He turned to look at me on surprise.

"Trading cards?" he asked in disbelief.

"They're vintage," I explained, "he's very proud."

Bruce Banner POV

Agent Romanov had left me wandering about on the landing strip. I walked away from every guard that passed me but they didn't seem to realise who I was. I was looking at one of the S.H.I.E.L.D crests that had been skilfully spray painted on.

"Dr Banner!" a voice called behind me. It was him. The world's first superhero. The super-soldier. I walked over and shook his hand. Agent Romanov was with him. She stood further back and watched. He had a good, firm shake. But then again; he was genetically modified.

"Oh, yeah. Hi," I said still shaking his hand, "they told me you'd be coming."

"Word is you can find the cube," he said. I expected him to bring up the other guy; but he didn't. I looked around in confusion.

"Is that the...only word on me?" I asked tentatively.

"Only word I care about," he replied. I liked him for that. He was a good guy and I hoped I wouldn't have to go face to face with him because the other guy would crush him.

"Must be strange for you," I said looking round and gesturing to our surroundings. I was trying to make conversation, "all of this."

"Well, this is actually kinda familiar," he replied as we continued to walk around. Agent Romanov was still watching and following us.

"Gentlemen," she piped up, "you may want to step inside in a minute. It's gonna get a little hard to breath." We looked at her in confusion as sirens went off and the deck became a flurry of attendants strapping the planes down on the deck. I could hear the metal below us sliding and moving position. I racked my brain for any suggestion as to what was happening. But the one suggestion I had came out of the Captain's mouth.

"Is this a submarine?" he asked, walking closer to the edge of the ship.

"Really? They wanna put me in a submerged, pressurised, metal container?" I scoffed. S.H.I.E.L.D was stupider than I thought.

Steve Rogers POV

I was as confused as Dr Banner was. We both walked to the edge to see what was happening to the boat. The water in front of us began to swirl. The pool became larger and larger until metal began to show. I looked down the boat and there was another circle of metal rising out of the water. Slowly fans began to rise out. It was a hover-ship of some kind. Waves splashed along the sides and narrowly missing us as we stood in awe as the wind rushed around us at high speed.

"Oh no. This is much worse," Dr Banner said before we began to take steps away from the edge. As we began to get higher into the air, and just like Agent Romanov had said, the air had become thinner, she directed us inside.

We went through several winding corridors behind Agent Romanov. All of the corridors were lined with armed S.H.I.E.L.D agents. We walked onto the bridge. It was huge. Inside was unbelievably high-tech (as Grace would say). There was row upon row of computers, all with S.H.I.E.L.D agents in their matching dark blue, all-in-one uniforms using the many devices on it to do incredibly complex stuff. Grace had just taught me how email works and set me up an account. She also said then when we both at the same computer at the same time, she'd set me up a facebook. I have no idea what that is. She was told about it by an Agent Barton.

I looked around with a smile on my face. Fury was right: the world _had_ gotten stranger and things could still surprise me.

"S.H.I.E.L.D emergency protocols 1 9 3.6 in effect," an female agent said on a raised platform and a larger control grid of her own. She must be one of the Lieutenants. She turned to Director Fury with her hands on her hips. Director Fury stood at the master controls above everyone else. He looked like the main authority on the ship, "we're at level sir."

"Good," he replied bluntly, "let's vanish." I wondered what he meant and made a mental note to ask an agent as the gentle hum of the ship's engines became gradually louder before going soft again.

"Reflection panels engaged," a faint male voice said before the rest of the voices merged back into one semi-loud noise.

"Gentlemen," Director Fury greeted, walking to the large, round conference table the two of us had gathered around. Banner was the furthest away but pulled his gaze from his surroundings to look at Director Fury. As he walked past me; I dug my hand into my pocket and pulled out a bundle of dollar notes (supplied by Grace) and grabbed ten dollars and placed it in Fury's open palm. I continued to walk down to Fury's control panel.

Bruce Banner POV

Director Fury walked up to me with his hand extended.

"Dr, thank you for coming," he said. He one eye was filled with sincerity. I was hesitant to shake his hand but I did.

"Thank you for asking nicely," I replied, letting go of the director's hand but refusing to look him in the eye, "so...um...how long am I staying?"

"Once we get our hands on the tesseract," he replied, "you're in the wind."

"Where are you with that?" I asked. The sooner I got out of here, the better. I do not want an incident in a flying metal can. Fury pointed to another Agent. Probably a high ranking one as he wasn't in the same uniform as the others.

"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops. If it's connected to a satellite; it's eyes and ears for us," he explained. I saw Captain Rogers walk towards the agent from the other side as he listened into the conversation.

"We're still not going to find him in time," Agent Romanov said, appearing skilfully into the conversation.

"Narrow your field," I ordered softly, "how many spectrometers do you have access to?" I asked. My brain kicked into drive mode.

"How many are there?" Fury replied.

"Call every lab you know, tell them to put spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays," I took off my jacket as I said orders, "I'll rough out a tracking algorithm, basic cluster recognition, at least we can rule out a few places. Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

"Agent Romanov?" Fury called in answer to my inquiry, "could you show doctor Banner to his laboratory, please?" It wasn't a suggestion, just a subtle order. Agent Romanov walked up to us and walked past me. I automatically followed.

"You're gonna love it, doc. We got all the toys."

**Author's note: Well there is chapter 30! I'm sorry but I probably will be updating every couple of days for the week as I'm helping out at a kids club morning through late afternoon and in the evening are several youth events. But please review, favourite, follow, etc.**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN MARVEL**


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: My next target

Third person POV

Erik Sulveig screwed and secured the various, stolen, science equipment into his new project. He was now in a new, secret and underground lab. His icy blue eyes glinted with delight as he say more needed parts made their way through the door in a zombie-like fashion.

"Put it over there," he ordered, pointing to the small, bare table on the other side of the room with the red-handled screwdriver in his hand, "Where did you find all these people?" he asked his partner, a certain Agent Clint Barton of S.H.I.E.L.D. Barton was extremely useful at getting the necessary items for the portal-in-progress.

Barton stood outside the large plastic box which contained the doctor and some of his workers along with the portal-in-progress. He had the same icy blue eyes as the Dr Sulveig but had a more muscular frame and was dressed head to toe in black.

"S.H.I.E.L.D has no shortage of enemies, doctor," he said looking down at a screen. He lifted up the screen so Sulveig could see it, "is this the stuff you need?" he asked gruffly. On the screen was the image of a rock below the title of "Iridium".

"Yeah, iridium," he agreed, looking at the screen Barton was holding to check, "found in meteorites and forms anti-protons. It's very hard to get hold of." Sulveig was fitting together two slides of metal as he was talking. Barton lowered the screen while Sulveig dropped his gaze to the table of metal parts and wires in front of him.

"Especially if S.H.I.E.L.D knows you need it," Barton muttered, loud enough for Sulveig to hear.

"Well I didn't know," he replied, looking back at the agent.

Thanos POV

I wandered through the tunnels to the main lab where Agent Barton and Dr Sulveig were having a very animated conversation. All the scientists stayed out of my way as I walked towards the plastic lab I had provided for Sulveig to work. It prevented the rain drops from dropping down and messing with the equipment or worse, breaking them.

"Hey," Dr Sulveig said cheerily to me. He knew who I was and didn't care.

_He_ doesn't_ know who you are. He thinks you're me! _Loki corrected angrily.

_It doesn't matter, _I snapped back.

Dr Sulveig walked up the thin layer of clear plastic that covered the entrance to the main lab. He had, what humans call a screwdriver and two thin sheets of metal in his hands.

"The tesseract has shown me so much," he said, "it's more than knowledge, it's truth." And to be honest it was a truth. Just a twisted truth to make you do what ever I said.

_You are despicable, _Loki said sourly.

_Aren't I just, _I teased.

"I know," I replied out loud, "What did it show you agent Barton?" The dark clothed S.H.I.E.L.D agent turned around to face me. His similar icy blue eyes looking right at me.

"My next target," he said. Perfect. This was going along nicely and with no disruptions other than a little resistance from some pathetic, semi-strong-willed humans.

"What do you need?" I asked. He walked over to a dark box which had been brought with him. I had a guess as to what was in it but I wasn't certain.

"I need a distraction," he said. He gave a firm flick of his arm and the stick in his hand flicked out with a snap into a bow, "and an eyeball."

Agent Coulson POV

"I mean...if it's not too much trouble," I said. I had finally asked him to sign my Captain America trading cards. He was the one who had brought it up. Obviously Grace had spilled with Natasha and Natasha had gossiped to the man himself

"No, no," he said, "it's, uh, fine." We were waiting as patiently as we could to get a face match on Loki.

"It's a vintage set," I said. Shut. Up. Coulson, "took me a couple of years to collect them all." There was another awkward silence. Well, it was awkward for me. The my mouth decided that my brain was not important and just kept talking, "near mint. Just a little foxing around the edges but-"

"-We gotta hit," one of the male S.H.I.E.L.D agents interrupted. A small bleeping noise came out of his computer as "MATCH" showed up on the screen, "67% match. Wait Cross match, 79% match."

I walked over to look at the agent's screen.

"Location?"

Steve Rogers POV

We had gotten a match. Good. The agent with a small, but strange obsession with me was making me more and more uncomfortable.

"Stuttgart, Germany," the agent replied to the Agent Coulson. Stuttgart. Why did that sound familiar? "28, Cooling Straza. He's not exactly hiding."

"Do we have any agents in the area?" Fury asked from his post. And then it clicked.

"No sir w-" the agent started.

"Yes, we do," I interrupted. Fury looked down at me with confusion, "Grace is there. On a weekend with her boyfriend. I was there when he invited her. And I have a feeling she's in the same building as Loki."

"I'll contact her but she's going to need all the help she can get," he replied, "Captain, you're up."


	33. Chapter 32

**Author's Note: Just a quick thank you to Gayle Forsse1 for your review. I like giving POV's as it gives a certain perspective on the story; like telling a tale from all sides. I've kinda gone a bit overboard with scenes from the movie, I know, but I will try and reduce character jumping as much as possible but there are so many aspects I want to cover. There will be some added in scenes and subtext in scenes from the movie so I hope it isn't too tedious for you and let me know you're thoughts.**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN MARVEL**

Chapter 32: Kneel!

_Stuttgart, Germany_

Grace POV

We pulled up in a drop-off point in front of a fancy white building. The golden glow of the fancy lights shone out the windows. There was a velvet red carpet to the main door. There was a small white clock above the entrance but the numbers were far to small to read from a distance. The street was lined with street lamps. It was busy. There were a lot of people in black suits and ball gowns.

Daniel was dressed similarly. He was wearing a fancy black dinner jacket made by a designer of some kind. He also had a matching black bow tie and shiny, polished-black shoes. I was in a long ball gown roughly the same colour as the eyes in my dreams. It was strapless, a deep green with the glitter of some silver gems and had a black ribbon across my abdomen. In my hand I carried a small silver clutch which carried a small pistol I had brought with me. I also had six knives strapped to my left calf.

As much as I loved spending a bit of a weekend alone with Daniel; I spy must carry protection with them at all times. I also had a communicator just in case there is a code red where I am. But that very unlikely to happen.

Daniel helped me out of the car like a gentlemen and reluctantly handed over the keys to his BMW to the young man in the burgundy jacket. The man wasn't that much older than us. But, like most men, Daniel's car was his pride and joy. Daniel led me down the red carpet where we were provided with flutes of champagne and was walked into a large marble hall; complete with pillars and an ugly statue of a bull that had bits and pieces chipped off it over the years. There was a string quartet in the corner, playing a very elegant tune.

"So how's the job hunting?" Daniel asked as we stopped in a small, secluded corner with a good view of the microphone. Daniel still thought I was unemployed and I didn't know how to tell him I work for a super secret organisation that is currently recruiting the world's superheroes to take on the world's biggest psychopath.

"Good," was all I said. Luckily a man in the same black-tie dress tapped the microphone. He was thin with balding white hair and pale skin.

I looked around me as the man at the front began to speak. It was all in German. I heard Daniel stifle a laugh as the man continued to speak. I understood what the man was saying and there was nothing overly funny about his talk. He was just thanking people for their contributions. He eventually bent down to whisper in my ear. His breath was hot against my neck.

"Do you have any idea what he is saying?" he whispered into my ear. I smiled. That was why he was holding his laughter. I shook my head.

"No," I lied back while looking at the immaculate paintings on the walls of the overlooking balconies. Then I noticed someone familiar. It was Loki; the man who attacked the S.H.I.E.L.D facility. He was dressed in the same black suit as the other men but with a long black coat and a green and gold-embroidered scarf around his neck. His sceptre was now a gold cane with the blue gem at the top of it. I needed to contact S.H.I.E.L.D, "I'm just going to the ladies."

"Ok," Daniel replied with a glint in his eyes, "maybe after we can just leave." I didn't reply. I didn't want to. Most likely I'd be asked to stay and fight. I ran to the ladies to contact fury and screw a silencer onto my gun.

Thanos POV

I looked down at all the pathetic humans. All of them were listening to the man speaking into some strange device that amplified his voice. Barton needed a distraction to get at the iridium and I needed into this S.H.I.E.L.D organisation's main base, if what Barton said about these...avengers...were true.

I walked down the stone steps in my semi-rag mortal clothes with my sceptre - now cane - in hand. I walked down the main steps behind the man speaking dully in a different tongue. There was one guard who turned and looked at me. I flipped my cane around so I was holding the end without the tesseract stone at the top and hit him across the face; sending him backwards and the crowd into gasps of shock. I had their attention.

_Don't do it, Thanos, _Loki warned in a dead serious tone.

_Try and stop me Asgardian, _I spat back.

The man that had been speaking drearily was the one I needed the eye off. I grabbed him in the throat as more people gasped in horror and backed away from me. I dragged him to a table of some kind and flipped him onto the table; lying on his back. More and more people backed away with shrieks of horror. I pulled out my device and activated it. It couldn't do it's job until Barton had activated his half. The blades automatically began spinning. Barton had activated his end. I plunged it into his right eye. The action was meet with several noises of disgust and fear. More and more people began to run in their high shoes in panic as they ran towards the door.

I looked up at them running and screaming in horror. So much chaos. It almost made me giddy. I smiled to myself and finished the job. I put the device back into my pocket and began to walk towards them. All of them scrambling away from me in fear and panic.

Grace POV

I ran with everyone else. My gun with new attachments was now strapped securely to my right thigh as I ran out to see where Daniel had got to.

"Grace!" he called as I ran into his arms, "thank god you're ok."

"Yes, I'm fine," I replied as we continued to run across the road and to the small courtyard at the other side of the road where everyone was gathered. Loki had transformed out of his ordinary clothes into a golden trimmed armour. Complete with a ridiculous hat. It was horned. Cow hat. His cane had transformed back into his golden sceptre and he was now marching across the road to us. A police car came up the road with sirens wailing but was flipped over with ease by one of the blasts from Loki's sceptre.

We were sitting ducks here as the crowd tried to run further away from him but he appeared in front of us; blocking our path. But it wasn't him. It was just a copy. But none of us dared try and run past them.

"Kneel before me," he ordered. More copies of him blocking us in, "I said." He slammed the bottom of his sceptre down onto the stone path and so did his copies, "KNEEL!"

All of us, out of panic, kneeled.

Thanos POV

I watched them bow down to me. All of their eyes were wide with pure terror. I could get used to this.

_This isn't right, _Loki hissed.

_So what, _I replied.

"Is not this...simpler," I said aloud; walking through the crowd, "Is this not you're natural state?" I asked rhetorically. Pointing my sceptre out in front of me to make it easier for me to weave through the humans in the place they belong. Grovelling in the dirt, "Is this not the unspoken truth of humanity. That you _crave_ subligation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were _made_ to be ruled. In the end...you will always kneel."

It was at that moment an old man stood up and faced me. He was strong and looked at me with scrutiny.

"Not to men like you," he said boldly. He was no fool. His age had given him wisdom.

"There are no men like me," I replied.

_I know what you are considering, _Loki interrupted, _don't do it._

_Shut up, _I hissed back.

"There are always men like you," he replied.

_Don't Thanos! Don't! _Loki protested. I smiled at my punishment for him.

"Look to your elder, people," I said, pointing the end of my sceptre at him, "let him be an example."

_Thanos, NOOOOOOO!,_ Loki screamed as I fired a single blast. The man's eyes went wide with shock.

Grace POV

Loki fired a single blast at the man but out of the sky, dropped a figure which shielded the man. The bolt bounced back and sweeped Loki clean off his feet. I smiled as I knew who it was. Steve. I looked over as he stood up. He had a helmet/mask on but it was definitely him.

"You know...the last time I was in Germany," he said walking towards the fallen Loki, "and saw a man standing above everyone else. We ended up disagreeing." Loki climbed to his feet.

"The soldier," he said bitterly. He had been told about him; probably from the controlled Barton, "the man out of time."

"Oh I'm not the one who's out of time," he said. Above him flew one of the S.H.I.E.L.D heli-carriers.

"Loki," Natasha Romanov's voice ordered from the heli-carrier; pulling out a large gun in the bottom, "drop the weapon and stand down." Loki smiled to himself and fired a blast aimed at the heli-carrier. It was narrowly dodged. Steve threw his shield which hit Loki square in the chest. The crowds began to flee as the battle commenced between Loki and Captain America. Daniel grabbed me by the arm; telling me to go.

"I can't," I said pulling the gun out from under my dress, "I have to stay and help a friend. Get everyone to a safe distance." He looked at me with horror and shock.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"The same person you know. Just with a slightly different job," I said, turning my back on him and waving the people away. After the crowds began to dissipate with Daniel with them. I took a covered spot with a good line to the brawling in the centre and took aim. But there was too much going on.

Steve threw his shield again but Loki knocked it away from its course with his sceptre. Steve ran and aimed a punch to his head, Loki dodged and swiped at Steve with his sceptre. Steve ducked back out of it and aimed another attempt at Loki. It failed and Loki threw him across the courtyard. Steve scrambled to get up quickly but Loki stopped him in a kneeling position with the end of his sceptre.

"Kneel," he snarled.

Thanos POV

I had him where I wanted him. Grovelling in the dirt. He reached up to the end of my staff and pushed it off his head while climbing to his feet.

"Not today," he said jumping up and kicking me in the face. I fell to the ground and pushed myself back up as the soldier aimed another blow at me. I managed to grab him by the scruff of the neck and throw him away again.

Then out of the sky came some sort of ball of fire. It was moving towards me but as soon as it was close enough I realised it wasn't a ball of fire. It was the man of iron that agent Barton had mentioned.

_You're screwed, _Loki said gleefully.

_If I die, you die too, _I replied pointing out.

_I'm not afraid of death, _he said bluntly.

A blast of energy came out of the man of iron's suit; knocking me to the ground. I had landed on the stone steps. I looked up at the soldier who had recovered his strong shield and the man of iron who had every weapon he had on his suit pointed at me.

"Make a move reindeer games," he said. His voice had a robotic twang but then again, the man was inside a metal suit. This was exactly what I needed. I needed into the S.H.I.E.L.D base. I decided to willingly surrender.

Grace POV

I watched as his armour disintegrated into gold dust and vanish completely. Sceptre and all.

"Good move," iron man said. I had a feeling he would show up eventually. I wondered whether he was as obnoxious as Phil described him to be.

"Mr Stark," Steve acknowledged as Natasha began to land the heli-carrier behind them.

"Cap'ain," he replied. The heli-carrier landed and forced Loki into the back. Steve stood out for a minute to catch his breath. I came out of my hiding spot with my gun disassembled.

"Good day at work?" I asked. He turned at the sound of my voice and gave a small smile.

"Not bad," he said playing along. He took off his helmet and gave me a hug, "do you wanna join us?"

"No thanks. I have already sent for another jet to get me back to base. Plus; I think Daniel just broke up with me and as glad as I am we caught the bad guy...I don't feel like being under his scrutiny at the moment.

"That's fine," he said looking back at the heli-carrier, "I get Stark and the bad guy all to myself then." I smiled.

"Don't trust him, Steve. No bad guy that smart willingly volunteers to surrender under those circumstances. I have a feeling he has something else planned," I said, "just keep an eye on him."

"Will do," he said before turning on his heels and walking onto the heli-carrier which promptly took off.


	34. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Listen well, brother

Thanos POV

I sat, strapped into a seat into some sort of vehicle. Both the soldier and the metal man had a close eye on me. There was a woman driving. She had short red hair and wore a tight-fitting, all-in-one outfit. The soldier had his helmet off and had short blonde hair. The metal man was darker in both skin tone and hair colour.

_This isn't right, _Loki said.

_After all of this, that is all you can say? _I replied.

_You have the option to leave. If I'm annoying, just go! _Loki said. There was no way I was leaving this body until I had waged war and won on this pathetic excuse for a planet.

_You may have to watch your back. My brother loves this planet, _Loki pointed out.

_He is no match for me or the chitauri, _I boasted.

"Seeing anything yet," a voice from the cockpit broke the silence. It was the same man from the night I arrived. The black one with the eye patch.

"Not a word," the woman flying the aircraft replied.

"Just get him here," the man replied forcefully, "we're low on time."

_Just think...soon you'll be in a lovely cage with every agent still alive trying to torture the information out of you, _Loki mocked.

_Like I did with you? _I boasted, _that was too easy._

_If we ever meet while in separate bodies, I'm going to kill you, _Loki threatened.

_If that did ever happen. I would crush your bones into dust, _I snarled back. Loki backed off and I looked around at my surroundings.

The soldier and the metal man where having a hushed conversation in the opposite corner. I didn't bother eavesdropping. It was probably something petty that did not involve me. At that moment a storm hit. But it wasn't just any storm. I could tell. It was lightning and there was only one thing I was certain that came after the lightning.

_Thor, _Loki finished for me.

"Where's this coming from?" the woman muttered to herself. The question was not where, but whom. I looked up at the window on the roof or the aircraft in fear as another crack of lightning struck across the sky. It was louder. He was getting closer. The soldier noticed.

"What's the matter. Scared of a little lightning?" he asked mockingly.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," I said. The lightning got stronger and then thunder began to rumble. He was here. There was a loud crash on the roof of the aircraft. All the passengers jumped at the sound. The metal man fixed his helmet and opened the door at the back of the carrier.

I looked out at the opening and then he jumped into view. Thor Odinson himself.

_I told you so, _Loki jeered.

He walked over to the man of iron who was loading a shot but before he could shoot, Thor knocked him away with his hammer. This sent him flying into the soldier and left both of them in a crumpled heap on the floor. He grabbed me and ripped me out of my seat, holding me by the neck. I looked into his blue eyes. They were of rage. He dragged me to the opening of the aircraft and took me to a mountain tip.

He threw me down onto the hard stone as he stood above me. It had hurt my back as I had landed.

"Ugh!" I groaned.

"Where is the tesseract?" he asked. In his deep voice that was laced with a dead serious tone.

"I missed you too," I joked.

"Do I looked to be in a gaming mood!" he boomed with his hammer raised.

"You should thank me," I moaned as I slowly got up, "with the bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the all father have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious earth." His hammer dropped with a thud as he forced me up and held my head up to look at him.

"I thought you dead," he said. A tear growing in his eye.

_He probably celebrated, _Loki said bitterly.

"Did you mourn?" I asked. Getting an answer for Loki.

"We all did," there was complete sincerity in his voice and eyes, "our father."

"Your father," I corrected.

_What are you doing! They missed me! _Loki sobbed.

_Pretending to be you, _I said.

Thor let go as I started to walk around him.

"He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?" I asked. I turned my back as I began to walk down the hill.

"We where raised together," Thor said behind me. I could hear emotion cracking his voice, "we played together, we fought together," he voice gained volume with every word, "do you remember none of that?" I turned around.

"I remember a shadow," I replied, "living in the shade of your greatness."

_That's not who I am anymore! THOR PLEASE HEAR ME! _Loki begged and sobbed.

_He can't hear you. All he can hear is me and I am speaking what you have always wanted to tell him, _I said.

_Not anymore! _Loki said, trying to take control of his body but he wasn't strong enough.

"I remember you tossing me into an abyss," I said. Making myself begin to cry to make it more believable, "I who was and should be king!"

_Not anymore, not anymore, _Loki chanted.

"So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights," Thor said with disbelief, "No. The earth is under my protection, Loki."

"And you're doing a marvellous job with that," I laughed, "the humans slaughter each other in droves while you idly fret. I mean to _rule_ them. Why should I not?"

"You think yourself above them?" Thor asked.

"Well, yes," I replied matter-of-factly.

"Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother," Thor said, "the throne would suit you ill."

_He's right, _Loki hissed. I pushed past Thor and walked back up the slope.

"I've seen worlds you've never known about!" I shouted back, "I have grown, _Odinson, _in my exile. I have seen the true power of the tesseract. And when I wield it-"

"Who showed you this power?" Thor interrupted.

_There is your slip up, _Loki said, _He's on to you now._

"Who controls the would be king?" he asked again.

"I AM A KING!" I shouted out.

_THOR! I AM HERE BROTHER! _Loki shouted out in the hope that Thor would hear him.

"NOT HERE!" Thor roared, grabbing me by the shoulders, "YOU GIVE UP THE TESSERACT! YOU GIVE UP THIS POISONOUS DREAM!" his voice then became quiet, "you come _home_."

_Yes! Yes! Yes! _Loki chanted.

"I don't have it," I breathed. Thor summoned his hammer in anger and raised it for a blow, "you need the cube to bring me home but I've sent it off, I know not where."

"Listen well brother," Thor ordered with the hammer pointing straight into my chest, "I, ugh!"

In a streak of light, Thor had vanished.

"I'm listening," I said smiling to myself.

_Good, _Loki piped up out of the blue. My smile faded, _maybe then you'll listen to me._

**Author's note: There we go chapter 33. Please review, follow, favourite, etc. I want to know your thoughts. Good/bad, anything.**


	35. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: The meeting of minds

Grace POV

Another heli-carrier arrived not long after the other one had left. I went to the extraction point in Stuttgart and was hastily flown to home base. When I arrived there was another guest and Loki had only just been handed to the guards to be taken to the cell.

I went to my locker and changed back into my usual S.H.I.E.L.D uniform. The last thing I needed was to be walking round a S.H.I.E.L.D base in an ankle-long ball gown.

Thanos POV

I walked through several metal arced corridors, surrounded by armed humans at all sides. I was inside enemy lines. We passed many rooms but I only looked in a few. One was most certainly a laboratory of some description where the monster itself dwelled. I looked at him with one of the mischievous looks Loki was familiar with. I did not want to hide my intent; that just ruins the fun.

Dr Banner took off his glasses to study me a bit more. I continued to smile until I passed the room but I saw at the corner of my eye, Dr Banner massaging the bridge of his nose, as if to ward off a headache.

Eventually I reached a rather large glass box in the centre of a large room with nothing else more than a control panel and a couple of steps. The guards pushed me into the glass box and I stood in the centre, observing as the door hissed shut and the guards departed.

_This was your big plan? _Loki scoffed, _Getting us trapped in a glass box?_

_You miss the bigger picture, Asgardian, _I replied smoothly.

_I really don't want to know what the bigger picture is, _he replied.

_Maybe you should take an interest, _I tried to persuade, _you're trapped, remember._

"In case it's unclear," the man with the eye patch said, walking up to the control panel, "if you try to escape; if you so much as scratch that glass." He pressed a couple of buttons and there was a whooshing of wind as the floor underneath the cage opened up, "30,000 feet, straight down, in a steel trap. You get how that works? Ant," he said gesturing to me before gesturing to his controls, "boot."

"It's an impressive cage," I chuckled darkly, "not built, I think, for me."

"Built for something a lot _stronger_ than you," he replied.

"Oh, I've heard," I said darkly, looking into one of the many lenses that surrounded me, "the mindless beast. Makes play he's still a man. How _desperate_ are you that you call on such _lost_ creatures to defend you."

"How desperate am I?" he asked. His tone one of thinking that my question was completely pointless in asking, "you threaten my world with war, you steal a force you can't hope to control, you talk about peace but you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me _very_ desperate. You might not be glad that you did."

An impressive speech for such a stupid being. He is so naive on the worlds around him. The tesseract will be mine to control But now it was time for some intimidation, my favourite part.

_You say they are pathetic. But are you sure you are not just looking right back at yourself? _Loki mocked.

"Oooooh," I said. Looking at him through the glass of my prison, "it burns you to have come so close. To have the tesseract. To have power. Unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all man kind? And then to be reminded what real power is."

The man smirked and turned his back to me.

"Well let me know if real power wants a magazine or something," he said while departing. Leaving me alone. I gave one last menacing look into one of the lenses watching me, hoping that whomever was watching would take notice.

Grace POV

I arrived onto the bridge just as Loki had finished giving his speech. It was the kind of menacing monologue used when an enemy wants to put a shiver down their opponent's spine and make them paranoid about every movement because when someone is paranoid, they make mistakes.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" the man I assumed was Dr Banner. Both him and the blonde new-comer were standing.

"Loki's gonna drag this out," Steve said, adding to the discussion, "Thor. What's his play?"

Thor. The name was familiar. I got a flash of a golden, marble ballroom. There was no one in it. Just a bucket of soapy water and a scrubbing brush. I tried to push further into the memory but an acute pain rang in my head.

"He has an army called the chitauri," Thor replied, "they not of Asgard or any world known. They will win him the earth and come back, I suspect, for the tesseract."

"An army...from outer space," Steve clarified not believing the words coming out of his mouth.

"So he's building another portal," Dr Banner said taking off his glasses, "that's why he needs Erik Sulveig."

"Sulveig?" Thor asked.

"He's an astro-physicist," Banner explained.

"He's a friend," Thor replied. It then clicked. Thor was the mysterious "Donald" in New Mexico. That's where he met Dr Sulveig.

"Loki has him under some kind of spell. Along with one of ours," Natasha trailed off. There was definitely something going on between her and Barton.

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him," Steve said, voicing my concern when I mentioned it while we were arresting the criminal-in-question in Stuttgart, "he's not leading an army from here."_  
_

"Steve's right," I said. All eyes turned to me, "Loki maybe crazy but he isn't stupid. If he didn't want to get get caught, he wouldn't have surrendered. I just think we have to assume that Loki has a plan and whatever that plan is, being caught and brought here is part of it."

"I don't think we should be worrying about Loki," Banner disagreed, "that guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him."

"I don't care how you speak," Thor said, clearly as confused as the rest of us on Banner's statement, "Loki is beyond reason but he is of Asgard, and he is my brother."

"He killed 80 people in 2 days," Natasha explained.

"He's adopted," Thor said. I stifled a giggled. I wondered whether all Asgardians had a sense of humour.

"I think it's about the mechanics," Banner said, "iridium. What do they need the iridium for?"

"It's a stabilising agent," said a male voice behind me. I turn around to find the one and only Tony Stark talking to Phil. Both hadn't realised I was there but I wasn't over bothered, "means the portal won't collapse on itself, like it did at S.H.I.E.L.D." He walked up to Thor, "No hard feeling Point Break, you gotta mean swing. Also, it means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long as Loki wants." He started speaking ship nonsense. All the agents on computers below him were not impressed. "That man is playing galaga! He didn't think we'd notice, but we did."

He covered one eye with his hand as he looked at Fury's controls with confusion, "how does Fury even see these?"

"He turns," replied no nonsense Agent Hill bluntly.

"Sounds exhausting," Stark complained, "the rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source of high energy density. Something to," he did a strange gesture with his hands that I didn't quite understand, "kickstart the cube."

"When did you become an expert in thermo-nuclear,astro-physics?" Agent Hill asked. Just as curious as I was.

"Last night," he replied simply and then elaborated, "the packet, Sulveig's notes, the extraction theory papers? Am I the only one who did the reading?"

"I wouldn't mind having a read through myself," I replied. Mr Stark looked at me with extreme curiosity, "The more I understand about it, the more I can help. The more brains we have working on this, the sooner we can sort this mess out. Isn't that what everybody wants?"

"And you are?" He asked, leaving a pause for assumption.

"Don't play games with me Mr Stark. I'm sure that in that packet there was more than just Sulveig's notes. Maybe it was because I'm a woman that you paid even more attention to my file but I assure you the answer is not in my cleavage," Stark snapped out of it immediately and turned a deep shade of red. I had made the arrogant smart-ass embarrassed.

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source," Steve interrupted, putting the conversation back on track and hiding his enjoyment very badly.

"He's have to heat the cube to 120 million Kelvin just to break through the coolum barrier," Banner answered in more geek speak. Hopefully after I was done with Sulveig's notes, I might understand what was going on.

"Unless, Sulveig has figured out how to stabilise the quantum tunnelling effect," Stark debated.

"Well, to do that he could achieve heavy ion fusion in any reactor on the planet," Banner answered.

"Finally," Stark said gesturing to Banner and walking over, "someone who speaks English."

"Is that what just happened?" Steve muttered, shooting me a look. The two scientists shook hands.

"It's good to meet you, Dr Banner," Stark said, "you're work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled and I'm a huge fan of when you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

"Thanks," Dr Banner replied. Not quite sure how to respond.

"Dr Banner is only here to track the cube," Fury said entering the room and the discussion, "Grace, a copy of Sulveig's notes will arrive at your room. Read them and then try and assist as much as possible. Stark, I was hoping you might join them."

"Start off with that stick of his," Steve suggested, "It may be magical but it works an awful lot like a hydra weapon."

"I don't know about that but it is powered by the cube," Fury replied, "and I'd also like to know how Loki turned two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

"Monkeys?" Thor asked, confused, "I do not unders-"

"I do," Steve interrupted, "I understood that reference."

"Don't worry, Thor. You're not the only clueless one," I reassured.

"Shall we play doctor?" Stark asked Banner.

"This way, sir," he said, directing Stark down a corridor. I'd catch up with them later._  
_


	36. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Grace of S.H.I.E.L.D

Grace POV

I went to the training room to let off some steam. I would go join the scientists later. I got changed into suitable clothing and strapped up my hands before pounding the punching bag. Right, left, right, left. I whipped round in a powerful roundhouse kick straight into the centre. The bag swung back before I stopped it hitting me as it flew back. I continued to punch and kick before moving on to shooting.

I put on my ear defenders before staking stance and shooting five bullets into the centre and highest scoring area on the target. I pulled the target back in and swapped it for a new one. I took off my ear defenders to hear footsteps. Slowly coming up behind me. Someone was sneaking up on me. I grabbed a knife that was sitting on the bench beside me and threw it hard across the room to where I heard the footsteps.

Thor POV

I was still curious as to the purpose of this place but as the many parties of the lively discussion dispersed, I followed the young woman who was dressed in black and had stood up the entire time, through the discussion. These men did not understand that a lady must sit. I walked down the hall she did, far enough away to not be seen but not too far away to lose her. I saw her turn a corner into a room. I waited a couple of minutes to see if she came out. She did not.

I went into the room to find row upon row of drawers. All of them had numbers. There was some form of water system as well, but they were shrouded by curtains made out of a strange, opaque material. I heard a strange thudding sound from another doorway. Except it had no door. I walked over and went through.

The room was large and empty. It had many things inside. Probably midguardian weapons. This must be their training room. I looked around and spotted the girl. She had just finished with a bag that was hanging from the ceiling and was walking over to an area that had a row of outlined targets made of paper. I didn't move in fear that she would hear me. I watched as she loaded a small object that clicked into place to form a weird shape and she put on some bright yellow blocks over her ears before raising the weapon and giving off 5 loud bangs. I walked in the hope that she wouldn't hear me. I walked close to the wall in the far side of the room. She flicked a switch and her paper target magically moved towards her. There was five holes in the dead centre.

She took it off some sort of hanger and replaced the page with a fresh one. Her yellow blocks were now around her neck. I took a few steps and she made no inclination that she had heard it. I continued to walk lightly toward her. All of a sudden there was a whir of action as she whipped round and a knife flew past the side of my face and cut directly into the wall behind me. The handle sticking out beside my left eye.

Grace POV

It was Thor. Looking thoroughly shocked at my sudden act of defence. He looked around at the knife that sticking out of the wall. He dropped his hammer and smiled before turning back to me.

"You are the second woman I know of who can do that," he said. I began walking towards him.

"Only two? Women and Asgard mustn't be very violent," I smirked.

"Sadly not milady," Thor replied. He had the same accent as me and he was from another world. This could not be a coincidence.

"Grace," I corrected, "I am no lady."

"Even so, you are from the old country," Thor said.

"I'm sorry, I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You're accent. You are from the old country," Thor insisted. I considered lying but that would not accomplish anything.

"To be honest, sir, I have no idea where I originate from," I said finally making it across the room to talk, "around a year ago S.H.I.E.L.D found me and brought me to one of their facilities while I was unconscious. When I woke up I no idea where I was and where I had been. The only thing I could remember was my name. Grace. That was it other than a few vague details. I had only just become a trainee agent when you arrived in New Mexico. Agent Coulson, the agent you met and a sort of adopted brother to me told me all about it."

"I remember him," he replied, "I have a feeling I have met you somewhere else. I recognise your face but I do not remember meeting you on midguard. Is it possible that we have met in Asgard?"

"After all that has happened to me, Thor, I wouldn't count that theory as impossible," I said unravelling the tape off my hands.

"You sound like my brother," he said, "he would always spend any spare time in the library. I could never remember where it was until I began shouting the hallways and then find his voice."

"Was he a good man?" I asked, "before the whole vengeance plot?"

"On the whole," Thor replied, "he had his mischievous times and times where he preferred to be alone. He was always good at manipulating people without them knowing. After all of this, I wonder whether he was just winding us all around his little finger."

"We can only hope that whatever changed him can be undone," I replied, "but only if something did."

"I will leave you to whatever training that still needs done if you will point me in the correct direction," I smiled and pointed to the direct exit, "thank you and farewell, Grace of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"And to you," I said watching him walk towards the door, "Thor of Asgard."

I finished up in the training room and went back to my dorm to find the copy of Sulveig's notes lying on my bed as promised. I began to read through them. I could feel the information soaking into my brain like a sponge in water. I read through the first file in just under an hour. Another couple to go. I was half way through the second one when Natasha walked into my room.

"How does an interview with the world's biggest psychopath sound," she offered. I smiled not raising my head.

"Like a terrible idea if I was the one asking the questions," I replied and raising my head, "I had a chat with Thor and our criminal mastermind his a very good manipulator. According to him."

"Well, how about you watch and let me do the manipulating," she offered, "or do you have a date with the geeks?"

"All right," I said, "let's go." Natasha let out a blinding smile and we made our way to the cage.


	37. Chapter 36

**Author's note: I know you guys have been waiting for this moment a long time and so have I. I am so glad to announce that this chapter is now up. Please, please, please leave a review! If you do not like it; don't kill me!**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**

Chapter 36: Face to face

Thanos POV

I paced around my prison. There was nothing to do but wait. I had had three interrogations already. I had only been capture for a couple of hours. I stood with my back turned, looking at nothing until I heard a sigh. Someone was there. I smiled.

"There's not many people who can sneak up on me," I said turning around to find a young, curvy woman standing by the controls. She was armed and clothed in a tight all-in-one suit. She had short red hair and pale skin.

"But you figured I'd come," she replied.

"After," I said, "after whatever tortures Fury could concoct you would appear as a friend, as a balm and I would co-operate."

"I want to know what you've done to Agent Barton," she ordered.

Grace POV

I watched Natasha begin her interrogation from a hidden corner. If he knew there was someone else there, the mind games would commence. She asked about Barton first instead of the tesseract. I always knew something was up between them, I just didn't know what.

"Let's say I've expanded his mind," Loki suggested. This guy made people suffering from psychosis seem sane.

"And once you've won, once you're king of the mountain. What happens to his mind?" Natasha asked.

"Oh. Is this love Agent Romanov?" Loki said activating charm and trying to manipulate.

"Love is for children, I owe him a debt," Natasha answered bluntly.

"Tell me," Loki urged walking back in his cell. Natasha let out a sigh.

"Before I worked for S.H.I.E.L.D," she started, taking a seat, "I, uh, made a name for myself. I have a very specific skill set, I didn't care what I used it for. Or on. I got on S.H.I.E.L.D's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me. He made a different call."

I looked over at Loki who was sitting with devious intent written all over his face.

"And what would you do if I vowed to spare him?" Loki asked. I was curious as to where this was going.

"I'm not letting you out."

"Oh but I like this," Loki said leaning forward, his white teeth showing, "your world in the balance and you bargain for one man."

"Regimes fall everyday," Natasha replied, her face still an emotionless mask but it was beginning to slip, "I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian. Or I was."

"And what are you now?" Loki asked.

"It's really not that complicated," she replied getting up off her chair, "I got red on my ledger and I'd like to wipe it out."

"Can you?" Loki responded, "can you wipe out that much red? Drakoff's daughter? Sao Paulo? The hospital fire?" I watched Natasha's face contort into many expressions of fear, "Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping." Loki got up and walked back across to Natasha, "it's gushing red and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything. This is the basis sentimentality. This is a child in prayer. Pathetic."

I watched as Natasha tried to remain emotionless but it was obvious Loki was worming his way under her skin.

"You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate. To have your own code. Something that makes up for the horrors but they are part of you," he said, "and they will never go away." He slammed his fist onto the glass making both myself and Natasha jump back in shock, "I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you slowly, intimately and in every way he knows you fear and then he'll wake, just in time to see his good work and when he screams I'll," Natasha turned away with tears welling in her eyes, "split his skull! This is my bargain you mewling quim."

I looked at Natasha but something was up. It sounded like she was crying but no tears were falling. I smiled. She had been playing him the whole time. She caught my eye and winked.

"You're a monster," she gasped, still with her back turned to Loki. Loki chuckled in false triumph.

"Oh no," he said, "you brought the monster."

At that moment Natasha was done playing games. She raised her head and smiled at me. We had the information needed.

"So," she said turning around with no tear streaked face much to Loki's shock and horror, "Banner. That's your play."

"What?" Loki replied shocked. Natasha began to leave.

"Loki means to unleash the hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way," she said leaving, "send Thor as well." She turned just before the door and turned to Loki, "Thank you for your co-operation."

Thanos POV

I had been played by a human! How could I have been so stupid. I had revealed my plan to a pathetic woman. While I thought I was playing her, she was playing me!

_Well, isn't this an interesting turn of events, _Loki chuckled.

_Shut up! _I snapped.

_Like that's gonna happen now, _Loki teased.

I heard more footsteps. It wasn't Agent Romanov. I wouldn't have heard her. I refused to turn around though. I did not need someone else questioning me.

"Why are you doing this?" A voice asked. A very familiar voice, "what sad, twisted something or someone made you become this? I talked to your brother and he said he had never seen you this way until he returned from here the first time?"

"I have already answered your colleagues questions," I said turning around, "is that no-"

It was Grace. The serving girl from Loki's memories. Even though I was meant to have no personal attachment to her, my heart soared. She was there. Her fiery red braided down her left shoulder and dressed in black. Her beautiful blue eyes sparkled with curiosity as she stood there awaiting an answer.

_Grace! _Loki sobbed. Before I knew what was happening tears were streaming out of my eyes and my limbs were no longer my own. Loki had taken over in the shock of the moment. He was strong enough to hold me at bay while he stumbled forward to the edge of the glass.

"Grace?" he whispered, placing his hands up against the glass, "how is this possible?" he began to sob as he knees fell weak, "father said he had killed you. All of us thought you dead? What happened? You're alive!" She stepped back from the glass out of shock and confusion.

Grace POV

How did he know me? What did he mean I was dead? How did I know Loki? Was it true that I lived in Asgard. Did I have a relationship with him? More and more questions swam through my head as Loki stared at me with tears in his eyes and streaming down his cheeks. His hands were on the glass and his breath started to fog up the glass.

"Ho...how do you know my name?" I gasped I said stumbling back and gripping onto the iron rail behind me as tight as I could.

"Grace," he said so tenderly his expression then turned to panic, "do you know who I am?"

"Yes," I said. Relief washed over his face, "you're the psychopath who is trying to take over my world and killed many human beings. You're a murderer and a power-hungry alien, who never should have left Asgard in the first place!"

I saw his expression turn to horror as he lifted a book out and held it against the glass. The book was familiar.

"Do you not remember this!" he said. I looked into his glistening icy blue eyes. They were both familiar but strange as well. I had a sensation that replicated walking into a brick wall as a blurred stream of images passed through my head.

_..."I do believe this belongs to you," I said handing a small leather bound book over to... It had golden writing on the cover in Old Norse and was full of remarkable tails. I looked up the person I was returning it to. The rest of the face was blurred but a pair of large, glowing green eyes..._

_...I stood in the centre of a luscious garden, surrounded by green grass and immaculately kept flowers and hedges. It was paradise...I stood beside someone who was chuckling at my state of awe. All I could see were a pair of green eyes..._

_...I scrubbed incessantly at the floors with a cloth as I began to see my reflection. I looked at myself. I looked around the room I was in. It was large and marble and gold. It had large pillars lining the way to a golden throne..._

_...I walked through the halls with platters full of rich food all the way down both of my arms. How can a normal person eat this much food? I walked into a large dining room and began to set down all the many platters up and down the centre of the table as I caught eye contact with a pair of mischievous green_ eyes...

Thanos POV

I watched as Grace fell to her knees and grabbed clumps of her hair. She screamed in agony. Loki was still holding me at bay as he remained in control of my body.

"Grace!" he screamed. Her screaming shrunk to exasperated gasps and floods of tears, "Grace what happened?" Pure, unconditional love flew through my veins as he looked with up-most concern at her. She grasped her bearings and climbed back onto her feet.

She walked towards me. Her red, tear streaked face was now an emotionless mask.

"I do not know you personally in any shape or form," she said in a dead serious tone, "I was never acquainted with you and even now as you hold a book up to the glass, I still do not know who you are. You are the one trying to take over the planet that I love with all the people that I care for. I do not know who you think I am but I am not her, whoever she may be. I'm the one who's going to stop you, or die trying." She spat before leaving the room.


	38. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: The floating fortress falls

Thanos POV

Loki had recoiled the moment Grace left and took back control. He didn't give me any grief. He just stayed there in a form of silent thought. I could feel his confusion and betrayal and it annoyed me.

_How does she not remember me? _he murmured, _What did Odin do to her?_

_Shut up! _I snapped getting tired off the love sick murmurs.

Agent Romanov managed to worm part of the plan out but releasing Dr Banner was not the full plan. S.H.I.E.L.D was my biggest threat to the plan. needed to destroy them from the inside and disable whatever counter-attack they were planning. What better way to do that than use the very monster they brought in.

Barton and his team would be arriving shortly. Or at least I hoped so. I hated this cage.

All of a sudden there was a loud explosion on the other end of the ship. They were here. About time! Only a couple of minutes later a loud, animalistic roar resounded throughout the ship. I almost thought my cage started to vibrate. The real monster had been released.

Grace POV

As I left Loki's cell I heard a loud explosion. All the surrounding agents rushed into a frantic frenzy to try and work out what the problem was. I began to run to the bridge. I ran through all the groups of panicked agents. I ran into one of them and then he explained that someone had taken out an engine and we were slowly falling out of the sky.

This made adrenaline pump twice as fast around my body. We were falling out of the sky. I reached the bridge to find all of them, not surprisingly, not as frantic as the rest of the ship. I scanned around the area for Coulson but he wasn't in sight.

"We need full evac on the lower hanger bay," Fury said to Agent Hill, "Agent Holmes, accompany Agent Hill."

"Of course sir," I followed agent Hill with two others in trail until a small cylindrical container rolled onto the floor in front of us. A grenade. Agent Hill noticed it too.

"Grenade!" She yelled as I retreated quickly before the explosion. Agent Hill toppled over the railing. I ran over to make sure she was ok. She was fine with just a long cut across her forehead.

I saw two men make their way onto the bridge with their guns held high and dressed in S.H.I.E.L.D armoured uniforms. I pulled out my gun and waited at the ready. Fury hid beside he doorframe. Out of view from the intruders who were coming through the doors.

As soon as the edge of the second intruder's gun reached Fury's eye-line he pushed it down, elbowed the man in the face and knocked him unconscious. He used the gun to shoot the other one down. A third intruder joined the brawl and aimed at Director Fury. I aimed at the guy's shoulder.

"Director!" I shouted, "Duck!" And he did. But the guy was already dead by the time I pulled the trigger. He was shot by none other than agent Maria Hill.

I had to go find Phil and then I realised exactly where he was.

"Loki," I muttered bitterly to myself. I was there! Why did I not just stay there! I ran off the bridge via a more obscured exit to get to Loki's cage.

As I ran through the many winding corridors, I felt a slope begin to build. One of the other engines must have shut down. I scrambled up a now growing slope on the path while others began to fall and slide down past me.

I ran through the surprisingly more stable lower levels to get to Loki's prison. I slowed down when I heard movement ahead. My blood turned to ice. It could be the hulk. I forced myself forward and found Natasha and Barton in hand to hand combat.

Natasha was currently being beaten down so I had to give her a helping hand.

"Oi Barton!" He turned to look at me while Natasha gathered her bearings, "you punch like a girl!"

This distracted Barton enough for Natasha to grasp her position and shove Barton into an iron pole. I gave her a thumbs up before running on.

Thanos POV

I had managed to get one of the guards to release me. As the door opened I saw Thor coming in.

"NO!" He shouted, charging towards me. I walked out and crouched, ready for him. When he reached me I teleported to the controls. Thor did not stop in time, like I suspected, and got himself trapped in the glass box that once held me.

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?" I said. Looking at him in the cage.

Thor did not respond. He slammed his hammer into the glass, causing a crack. The cage responded by hissing and locking into place. What the director had said was right. Thor looked baffled at what had just happened. A plan formed quickly in my head on how to get rid of him

_Isn't this what you wanted?_ I asked Loki, _to be rid of your golden boy brother?_

_Not anymore. If he goes I have no one,_ Loki replied.

_You have that small serving girl who you have a childish love for,_ I suggested.

_She does not remember me!_ Loki shouted. I left the conversation at that and walked over to the control panel.

"The humans think us immortal," I said to him, "shall we test that?"

I then heard a grunt and a thud. I turned to the noise to find another pesky S.H.I.E.L.D agent. In his hand he had a large weapon of some kind.

"Step away please," he said. I wouldn't even call it an order. Did those agents know anything about giving orders? But considering how large the weapon was, I did as he said, "do you like this? We started on the prototype after you sent the destroyer. Even I don't know what it does. Do you want to find out?"

I was already fed up with him. I teleported behind him and dug the sharp point of my sceptre deep into his back.

"NOOOOOOO!" An ear-splitting shriek of horror resounded around the prison. I slid the blade out as the body dropped to the ground as I looked into the face of a horrified Grace.

Grace POV

I felt as though I had been kicked in the chest by Natasha Romanov. All the air flew out of my lungs as I began to feel it hard to breathe. I tried to let out another cry but my throat choked up and no sound came out. I began to fall to my knees as waterfalls of tears clouded my vision and ran like streams down my cheeks.

All of a sudden a hand pulled me up and pulled me into their chest. It smelt so familiar but I couldn't tell from where I had smelt it before.

"Let her go Loki!" Thor roared. It was Loki cradling me. I pushed him away and wiped the tears from my eyes as burning rage filled me.

"YOU MONSTER!" I shouted at him. He looked up at me and in his eyes he looked...hurt. He ran up to me and grabbed my wrists in desperation.

"Come with me," he gasped, his eyes pleading and begging me to say yes. I gritted my teeth.

"Go to hell!" I spat pushing him back down the stairs and grasping the iron rail beside me. He then gave an evil grin and walked over to the controls, ignoring me. It was like he was two different people.

He walked over to the controls and pressed a few buttons. The floor opened up below Thor as I saw what was about to happen. He gave a devious yet gleeful grin at Thor before pressing the large red button. The glass cage dropped from the structure and down onto the land below.

"You're gonna lose," a deep voice said as Loki began to leave. It was Phil.

"Why?" Loki asked.

"It's in your nature," Phil replied. Only his was mouth moving.

"Your heroes are scattered, your floating fortress falls from the sky. Where is my disadvantage?" He asked walking towards Phil. I slowly eased myself off the iron bar and pulled out my gun.

"You lack conviction," he said. I walked forward and placed my gun into the back of Loki's head.

"You do not have the privilege of walking out of here without serious injury or company of a non-controlled S.H.I.E.L.D agent," I said with my finger on the trigger.

He whipped around trying to pull the gun out of my hands. All of a sudden a large blast of light shot him away from me and through a wall.

"Don't you dare touch a hair on her head," Phil said weakly against the wall.

"Phil," I gasped, rushing over to him and cupping his face to look at me.

"So that's what it does," he said with a faint smile. I gave a weak, teary laugh.

"You're going to be ok," I ordered, "you will make it through this." My voice began to crack as more tears began to run down my face, "you can't leave me here alone." I sobbed, "please."

"Grace," he said taking my hands in his, "I lo..." He closed his eyes.

"Phil!" I panicked, "you can't leave me alone! PLEASE! Open you eyes! Phil, please, can you hear me..."

I looked at his peaceful expression. He had a small trail of blood at one side of his mouth. I out my face in my hands and wept gut-wrenching sobs.

"Holmes," a voice barked but I wasn't listening. Someone began to pull me up and away from Phil's body.

"NO!" I protested as I was dragged back. Tears clouded my vision as a blur of blue and white surrounded Phil's corpse and then just darkness.

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. My computer deleted this chapter not once, not twice but three times before I could finally upload it. Please review, I really want to hear your feedback.**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN AVENGERS!**


	39. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: heart to heart

Grace POV

After Loki escaped I was carried to my room and refused to come out. Natasha was busy with Clint so she wasn't even needing to get into the room. After about five hours of crying there was no more fluid to cry out. I sat in sadness as I thought of the moments we spent together and his last half sentence. He said enough of it to know what the end was. I missed him so much.

I tried to cry out but there were no more tears. I curled up on my bed with my arms wrapped around myself. I just needed my own company. There was a ringing on my bedside table as my phone lit up. I looked at the screen. Unknown number. It was Fury trying to get me out. It wasn't going to work. Can't they just understand that he was the closest friend, my first friend that I remember, and the closest thing to family I had. And now he was, like my biological family and most of my memory, gone. Never to be regained.

Another buzz on my bedside table crashed through the silence. I checked just for the sake of it. It was Steve this time. I gave a small smile before it fading again. He finally worked out how to use his phone. I declined the call and lay back down on the bed. A small knock on the door then interrupted my solitude.

"I knew you wouldn't pick up," Steve's quiet voice said on the other side of the steel door, "but if you just let me in..." I sighed. I sat up and considered my options.

"Is Fury with you?" I asked.

"No," he said simply. I knew he was telling the truth. I got up and opened the door to find a neatly groomed Steve. He wore the blue shirt I got him. I gave a sad smile and walked back over to my bed. He shut the door behind him and sat down beside me. He opened his arms up, "come here." I smiled and leaned into his chest with my face at his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around me. I began to sob again. How unprofessional could I get. After a good half an hour in that position I finally pulled out and dried my tears.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"It was no hassle," he replied, "I know it's hard. I've found it hard and I only knew him a day. He was to you what you are to me. The agent that understands." I nodded in reply. I still wasn't up for talking. He took out a red stained card of himself in his suit with a different shield. I took it out of his hand and looked at it with curiosity.

"What's this?" I asked quietly.

"Agent Coulson's Captain America vintage trading cards. They were on him when he died," Steve explained. Another tear slipped out of my right eye and slid down my cheek before plopping onto the card, "did you know about the avengers initiative."

"Yes. Fury finally told you. When the other members are scattered down below, who knows where," I replied.

"Coulson died believing we could do this. Believing that even just a small group of remarkable people could make a difference," Steve said.

"Sounds like him," I said remembering the phone call before my final exam, "he called me before my final assessment to give me a moral boost as I didn't have family and the people in my group were all guys and hated me. But there was one line that gave me hope and helped me complete it." I smiled at the memory as a warm feeling spread in my stomach, "he said, "'I know that you are far more intelligent and stronger than any of those other agents out there. You just have to believe in what I have seen all along.'"

"Why should that not stand now as strongly as it did back then? Phil may not be here to witness it personally but I guarantee that where ever he is, where ever he may be, he will look at you and be proud." He said.

"How do you always know of the right thing to say?" I asked. He shrugged.

"No idea. You may not be genetically engineered or have a super suit of armour but you'll be suiting up with the rest of us," he said.

"Is that an invitation?" I asked, "'cause I'm going no matter what and we are going to take this bastard down."

"Welcome back Agent Grace Holmes," he said pulling me in for hug, "let's go check up on the others."

"Ok," I agreed. I followed Steve's lead as we walked through the emptier corridors. I passed Barton and Natasha. The icy blue pupils that once filled Barton's eyes were gone. He must be back to normal. I stopped to look in.

"Are you coming?" he asked me.

"One minute," I replied before walking into the room.

"I don't know, how ever's left," Natasha said.

"Count me in," I replied. Both Natasha and Barton turned to me. I looked a bit out of place as my eyes were still a bit red and puffy from crying. Natasha gave me a small smile before giving me a hug.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"Better. Steve convinced me out of my room but everything feels weird," I replied pulling out of the hug and looking over at Clint, "how are you doing?"

"My head hurts," he said bluntly, "But I'm good. Loki's opening the portal today. It's the only thing I know for certain."

"Well, if you're going to stop them both Steve and I are in. I think we're about to go and see Stark," I explained.

"Ok," Natasha replied, "let us know." I made my way to the door.

"Don't worry, you'll know," I said before leaving. I walked down the levels and through deserted hallways before arriving at the room where Loki and the cage once sat.

"...he was out of his league," Stark complained.

"So what?" I asked. Stark turned around to look at me, "he was the closest thing to a father or a brother that I ever had and I know first hand that he may not have any superpowers or a large electronic suit to make him different or special but his trust and faith in others along with sheer balls and crass stupidity he could make a difference. You only make a difference if you are willing and have at least one of those qualities if not all."

"He should have waited," Stark replied.

"Waited for what?" I argued, "if I got their sooner you may have been cleaning up more bodies. If he tried waiting for you, Loki would have gotten out without the threat of several people who now want him dead, myself included." Stark walked past us in silence.

"Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?" Steve asked. Stark turned around sharply.

"We are not soldiers," he replied, "I'm not marching into Fury's fight."

"Neither am I," Steve replied, "he's got the same blood on his hands as Loki does. But right now we've got to put that behind us and get this done. Now Loki needs a power source-"

"He made it personal," Stark interrupted.

"Yes," Steve replied, "that's not the point."

"That is the point," Stark interjected.

"What are you saying Stark?" I asked.

"That's Loki's point, he hit us all where we live. Why?" He asked. He had a point.

"To tear us apart," Steve and I said in unison.

"Yeah, divide and conquer," Stark continued, "yes, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. he wants to beat us, he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."

"Like in Stuttgart," I suggested.

"Yes, that's just previews," he said climbing the stairs, "this is, this is opening night an Loki's a full-tail diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built to the skies with his name plaster-" Stark stopped and it dawned on him. I then realised what was happening, "son of a bitch."

"What?" Steve asked confused as Stark began to rush out of the room.

"The power source is Stark Tower," I explained as we all walked out of that room with our heads held high, sorrow in our hearts and with revenge on our minds.


	40. Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Suit up

Grace POV

All of us briskly walked to the cargo bay were most of the stuff was still in tact after the home attack. We were finally going to get Loki. Steve went over to a small crate where his suit was stored and went to get changed. Stark was away in search of his secondary suit as the first one got trashed while fixing the malfunctioning engine.

Steve appeared out of his changing spot all geared up in his suit without the shield. I gave him a puzzled look.

"You said that Agent Romanov was eager," Steve explained, "I'll get my shield when we ask her to come aboard. Let's go."

We left Tony in the bay and I led Steve to the infirmary room Clint and Natasha were the last time I saw them. Steve opened the door all kitted out on his suit. He barely made it through the doorway as we both stayed beside the door. I couldn't see Clint but Natasha was there.

"Time to go," Steve ordered.

"Go where?" she replied turning around to look at us.

"To take Loki down," I replied.

"Do you know how to fly one of those jets?" Steve asked. Tony was the only one who knew how to get to New York and not need an aircraft and others to take him. At that moment another door opened up to reveal a normal Clint Barton in his signature black gear.

"I can," he replied. He had obviously been eavesdropping on our conversation. Both Steve and I looked at Barton and then sent questioning glances at Natasha. As if to ask "Is he normal again?" Natasha didn't say a word but gave a slow nod.

"Gotta suit?" Steve asked. Clint nodded, "then suit up."

We both left and both the master assassins followed promptly behind. We went back down to the cargo bay where Steve picked up his signature shield, Clint strapped on his arrows and collected his bow and Natasha and I gathered as many throwing knives, extra bullets and guns to as we could find and carry. We made our way through one of the hanger bays to a heli-carrier. Stark had given us all earpieces to communicate. He still hadn't left the airship as he was making minor adjustments.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Steve asked me anxiously as we made our way onto the heli-carrier. There was someone there. Probably a engineer or technician but he stood up and gave us questioning looks.

"Hey you guys aren't authorised to be here," he said. Smart ass.

"Son, just don't," Steve said seriously but the guy couldn't take a hint.

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to leave," He insisted. I walked forward and gave him a sharp, hard punch that knocked him to the ground, "it's all yours." he said in pain as he cupped his nose and ran out. I turned to Steve with a glare.

"Now who's not up for it," I said harshly. Steve raised his hands in surrender as Clint and Natasha made their way to the cockpit. We promptly took off with Stark in tow before he moved ahead and went on to New York. We flew as fast as we could to get to New York.

As we neared New York, I turned to Steve.

"Drop me off at Stark tower," I ordered.

"What? Are you crazy?" Steve asked.

"Quite possibly. But I think Loki knew me from my past life and somehow has some weird feelings towards me," I explained, "he'll be near the portal at Stark tower, so what better place to manipulate him into turning off the machine."

"Wait...what sort of feelings?" Steve asked curiously.

"Seriously?! You're asking that now?!"

"She has a point, cap!" Natasha called from the cockpit, "but she has to give us details on the other thing later."

"Ok," he said tossing me a parachute, "get ready." The door at the back opened up as I got off my seat and strapped on the parachute, making the butt of one of my gins dig into my kidneys. I made my way to the exit, prepared to jump, "in 3...2...1...JUMP!"

I closed my eyes and threw myself out into the cold, rushing air.


	41. Chapter 40

**Author's Note: Wow. Chapter 40. Please enjoy and thank you to all those who have followed, favourited and reviewed. Please enjoy**

Chapter 40: A new kind of threatening

Thanos POV

I watched as the iron suit was slowly stripped off to reveal the completely normal man underneath. He was nothing special but what was he doing taking off his armour when I am most certainly the biggest threat.

_Obviously not to him, _Loki sneered. I ignored his comment and walked inside to meet him. I walked through the double glass doors and into a main living area. Mr Stark was only just walking in himself with all of his suit completely off.

"Please tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity," I joked. He stood up on a high ledge just above a small kitchenette.

"Actually, I'm planning to threaten you," he said. There was no joking in his voice. Was he being serious? I chuckled as I made my way closer to him while he walked down a flight of stairs to reach my level.

"You should have left your armour on for that," I said, walking closer and closer to him.

"Yeah," he said passively, "seen a bit of mileage and you have to glow stick of destiny." He gestured to my sceptre. This man obviously had no sense of seriousness. Life was a huge joke and seriousness did not exist in his vocabulary, "would you like a drink?"

A drink? This man was an idiot. He said he was threatening me and he is offering me an alcoholic beverage, "stalling me won't change anything," I said with a light, breathy chuckle.

"No,no," he disagreed, "threatening."

_Maybe it's a new kind of threatening? _Loki suggested, clearly as confused as I was.

"No drink? You sure?" He repeated. I didn't answer so he treated it like a rhetorical question, "I'm having one." He turned his back on me to pick a large glass container (it couldn't be described as a jug) containing a red-ish-brown liquid. I turned and walked over to the wall of glass and looked over the crowded city that will soon be mine.

_It's not yours yet, _Loki pointed out.

"The Chitauri are coming," I said, "nothing will change that." I turned around to Mr Stark, "what have I to fear?"

"The avengers," he said ready to pour his drink into a glass. I shot him a confused look, "it's what we call ourselves. sort of like a team. Earth's mightiest heroes type of thing."

"Yes," I replied, realising what he was taking about, "I've met them."

"Yeah. Takes us a while to get any tracks, I'll give you that one. But...let's do a head count here. Your brother, the demi-god," I gave a bitter sigh to make sure he still thought I was Loki, "the super-soldier - living legend - who kinda lives up to the legend, a man with breath taking anger management issues, a couple of master assassins, a British, sharp tongued S.H.I.E.L.D agent with amnesia and you, big fella, you've managed to piss off every single one of them."

"That was the plan," I replied. Stark took a swig of his alcohol.

"Not a great plan," he said, "when they come, and they will, they'll come for you." Be walked down towards me.

"I have an army," I said threateningly as I was beginning to realise that he was threatening me.

"We have a hulk," Stark replied immediately.

"Oh, I thought the beast had wandered off?"

"No, you're missing the point. There's no throne. There's no version of this where you come out on top. And _maybe_ your army comes and _maybe_ it's too much for us but it's _all_ on you. Cause if we can't protect the earth you can be damn sure we'll avenge it." He took another drink. He was now at my level. I began to walk towards him.

"How will your friends have time for me, when they're so busy fighting you," I said putting the tip of my sceptre on the centre of his chest. There was a clinking sound and nothing happens. I tried again to see if it wasn't loading properly but the same happened. Just a clinking sound and he was still normal, "this usually works."

"All performance issues," Stark said casually, "it's not uncommon. You know 1 out of 5" I grabbed him by the neck to shut him up and threw him to the ground.

"JARVIS, turn now," he croaked as he climbed to his feet with difficulty. I grabbed him again around the neck.

"You will all fall before me," I snarled at him. He clawed at my hand to try and and let go. I couldn't make out what he was saying until I heard the click of a weapon.

"Loki, drop Mr Stark right now!" a different accented female voice barked. I turned my head slightly to see Grace standing at the other side of the room, aiming two Midguardian weapons at me.

_Grace! _Loki shouted in delight. He tried to take over. He always got stronger whenever she was around. I held him back with all my strength as the wave of power passed over and I focused my attention on her.

"As you wish," I replied simply with a smirk as I threw Mr Stark out of one of his windows. There was a faint hum in the background which got louder and louder. Grace ducked down as a small red pod flew out of the wall and over her head. This knocked me out of the way and onto the floor as it dived down the building to where Mr Stark was falling.

Grace POV

I watched Loki scramble back onto his feet and look out the window. He had forgotten I was there! I saw Stark in his suit fly up to meet his level.

"Oh and there's one other person you've pissed off," he said, "his name is Phil!" Tony then sent a powerful blast at Loki which knocked him to the ground. He raised his iron mask to look at me, "need a ride?"

"Yes please," I said looking at the large beam that had been shot into the sky. The portal was open which made Loki a smaller priority. I ran and jumped into the arms of Iron Man. It was not as comfortable as one might imagine. I dropped me off on a crowded street before flying up to address the swarm of alien soldiers now making their way through into our world.


	42. Chapter 41

**Author's Note: I apologise for the late update but I have just started back at school and new, harder courses await so I may not update everyday but I will try my best.**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**

Chapter 41: The battle of New York part 1

Thanos POV

I walked out onto the long ledge that stuck out of the building and looked around me. The shrieks of terror wailed around me like the wind. I looked down at the once un-blemished city with its many inhabitants as all the humans abandoned their strange vehicles as the rumble of explosions began to send dark smoke up into the sky. A world of chaos. I transformed into my battle armour as I reached the centre of the ending circle at the ledge. I smiled with satisfaction.

A large thud crashed beside me.

"LOKI!" I turned to find Thor in his armour. His scarlet cape flowing behind him and his hammer in hand, "turn off the tesseract or I'll destroy it!"

"You can't," I pointed out, "there is no stopping it. There is only the war." I said aiming my sceptre at him.

"So be it," he replied firmly. I dived down with my sceptre in hand, aiming a blow at Thor. A loud battle cry of anger and frustration escaped my mouth. Thor moved out of the way just in time as I land beside him. He swings his hammer at me to hit me in the middle. I block it with my sceptre. I swing my sceptre to hit Thor in the face.

Thor ducks while my sceptre over-swings behind my' head. I capture the sceptre behind me and blast Thor with a shot from my sceptre who deflects with his hammer. I aim another blast but Thor forces mu sceptre down with his hammer which blasts off two letters on the stark building.

As we continued to brawl a group of chitauri soldiers fly past continued brawling on the ledge. Loki began to resist my control, making it harder for me to win against Thor and keep the body. He began to push and push against my limbs.

Thor swings hammer and I duck. I grab Thor's head and smash it into some nearby glass, making him disorientated. All of a sudden the human aircraft appeared and began to shoot at me while Thor was still down. They missed me with all of their bullets and I fired a blast at one of the engines, making the ship begin to burn up. While admiring my handiwork I missed Thor climbing on to his feet and only realised when he tackled my middle, sending both of us crashing onto the stone ground.

A fist fight broke out between us as Loki slowly gained control of my body. Loki gave a strong push to take over with full control and stared in horror as Thor held him in the position of looking at the powerful city that was now turning into exploding chaos.

"Look at this!" He said. His voice was laced with anger, "look around you! You think this madness will end with your rule?"

"It's too late," Loki said, trying to warn Thor, "it's too late to stop it."

I expected him to start blurting out that he was here and that his body had been taken over by me.

"No," Thor disagreed, "we can stop it, together." In Loki's emotional weakness I took back my body and drove a knife into Thor's side.

"Sentiment," I said bitterly, looking at Thor on the ground. He scrambled up to grab me and kick me in my gut, through a window. He then lifted me up and threw me onto the stone ground with force.

Pain screamed through my body as I land on the stone ground separated from my sceptre. I abandoned my sceptre and rolled off the edge onto an empty chitauri hovercraft.

Grace POV

I ran down one of the main roads against the flow of panicking people. I saw the burning heli-carrier crash and ran at full speed to make sure Steve, Clint and Natasha were alright.

I watched my step with the large craters in the concrete and navigated around the burning and abandoned cars that were scattered down the road.

I met up with Steve, Barton and Romanov in time to see a large chitauri creature fly out of the portal above stark tower. The three others were too stunned and shocked to notice my appearance but it didn't faze me.

The creature flew overhead shooting out chitauri warriors which clung onto the side of the tall skyscrapers that surrounded the beast.

I watched as they dug into the walls and made their way to the closest entrance to the buildings in which they clung to. Some crashed through windows which was shortly followed by panicked screaming and shots being fired.

"Stark are you seeing this?" Steve asked. I heard Stark's reply through the linked communication system we had set up.

"Seeing, still working on believing," Stark replied, "where's banner, has he shown up yet?"

"Banner?" Steve asked confused.

"Just keep me posted," Stark replied before leaving the conversation, probably to deal with the alien creature that was currently soaring around New York.

We all ran and took cover behind a slightly ashy but not fully destroyed yellow cab. Clint had fully assembled his bow and looked determined.

A fleet of chitauri airforce flew over head and aimed bombs down on the high street across the way, sending up large explosions of dark ash and smoke. Many more screams erupted from terrified civilians.

Loki continued to fire down the street, letting nothing get in his way.

"There fish in a barrel down there," Steve muttered angrily.

"So what do we do?" I ask from behind. Steve turns in shock, surprise to find me on the ground so soon.

The alien soldiers began to land on the abandoned cars and strip of road we were on. Natasha noticed first and begun to fire at them with a gun in each hand, alerting us to the danger that was making its way toward us. Clint went and took cover behind a different cab that had a better view of the alien attackers.

"We got this," Natasha said to Steve. I was needed here.

"Think you can hold them?" Steve asked. Always so concerned.

"Captain," Clint said turning to face him, "it would be my genuine pleasure." He took out an arrow and shoots an alien square in the head.

"Go," I ordered, lightly pushing him away. Natasha stood up and begins to fire another round of bullets at the chitauri.

Steve jumper off the bridge and landed on an half burnt-out bus. A round of fire is aimed at him but he remained ahead and managed to make it to ground level unscathed.

I noticed a bus with passengers still hiding inside. I alerted Clint to it and we ran to help the younger travellers who were caught in the crossfire while Natasha covered for us, keeping the chitauri at bay.

I helped prise open the door allowing the bigger passengers get free as they could not fit through the window. Clint was helping the smaller ones out.

We got the bus emptied and moved quickly to our cab-made barricade to repel the enemy.

"Just like Budapest all over again," Natasha joked to Clint over the din of explosions and screams of terror.

"You and I remember Budapest very differently," Clint replied.

"I have no idea what happened in Budapest and finding out is currently the last thing on my mind," I said throwing a sharp knife with extreme force at one of the chitauri and it hit right in between its eyes.

I ran down the street flicking knives into the chests of the chitauri soldiers while being flanked by Clint who was expertly shooting them with his arrows and Natasha who was forcing them into the ground with her combat skills.

Natasha got hold of chitauri weapon and began to use it against them. More continued to land as I ran out of knives and used my two guns instead.

Alien soldiers began to outnumber and corner us. Steve jumped in, getting rid of the ones closest. As more came closer, ready to open fire, lighting struck down and electrocuted the three soldiers in front of us, leaving the chitauri dead on the ground.

Thor landed in front of us. He was limping and I could see he had an injury.

"What's the story upstairs?" Steve asked as we all walked up to join him.

"The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable," Thor explained.

"Thor's right you gotta deal with these guys," Stark agreed

"How do we do this?" Natasha asked.

"As a team," Steve said confidently.

"I have unfinished business with Loki," Thor stated.

"Yeah? Get in line," Clint said counting his arrows.

"Save it. Loki's going to keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him these things could run wild," Steve ordered as he turned round to face them as I noticed a vaguely familiar figure making their way towards them, "we get stark up top. He's going to need us to-"

The sound of an old motorcycle interrupted the Steve's orders. It was Banner. We all moved towards him. He was wearing a scruffy pair of dark jeans and faded t-shirt. I wondered where he got the clothes from. Surely the hulk ripped up the ones he was previously wearing.

"So," he said getting off his bike and walking towards us, "this all seems horrible."

"I've seen worse," Natasha commented. I realised Natasha must have dealt with the hulk before Barton.

"Sorry," he apologised sincerely.

"No. We could use a little worse," Natasha disagreed.

"Stark," Steve said, "we got him."

"Banner?" He asked.

"No the pizza delivery boy," I replied sarcastically.

"Well tell him to suit up," Stark ordered, ignoring my comment, "I'm bringing the party to you."

His last statement confused the group until they see Stark guiding the large, flying, alien worm around the corner. The side if it smashed into the side of another skyscraper when turning causing a chunk of the building to drop down onto the roads below. We all readied our weapons. We were a team.

"I-I don't see how that's a party."


	43. Chapter 42

Chapter 42: the battle of New York part 2

Grace POV

The giant alien made its way towards us, with Stark zooming in front of it. It edged closer and closer to the ground, sending bright taxis and other vehicles flying or being crushed under its sheer size.

Banner looked at us and back at the skidding beast hurtling towards us. He cautiously walked forward with both determination and reluctance.

"Dr Banner," Steve called after him, "now might be a really good time for you to get angry."

Banner looked back with a hint of a smirk, "that's my secret , captain. I'm always angry." He continued to walk forward and meet the creature as it skidded towards him.

He then turned round to face the creature as he started to grow. His pale skin fading into a deep green as his clothes began to rip.

He managed to change fully as the creature met him. He slammed down a large green fist that stops the creature in its tracks. The rest of its body slamed into the front part from the sudden stop, lifting it up and making it loom over us as its armour began to crack revealing soft flesh underneath the exoskeleton.

"Hang on!" Stark warned. He fires a small explosive as Steve pulls his shield up, sheltering Natasha along with him. Thor doesn't run whereas Clint and I take cover at the nearest bashed-up taxi.

A smoky explosion showers up in burnt alien flesh as the creature and its exoskeleton fall off the alien, defeated.

Battle cries from the surrounding chitauri resound around us as we group together, as a team, ready for our next opponent.

The hulk replied with another loud and animalistic roar. Clint loaded his bow, Thor readied his hammer, Natasha reloaded her gun, Steve re-strapped his shield, I pulled out a few more throwing knives and Stark landed beside me.

I looked up to see more of the flying worms making their way through the portal. Natasha noticed too.

"Guys," she says, gaining everyone's attention to the portal and new alien intruders.

"Call it captain," Stark ordered.

"Alright, listen up," Steve replied, "until we can close that portal up, priority is containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything, call out patterns and strays. Stark, you've got the perimeter. Anything goes three blocks out you turn it back or you turn it to ash."

"Wanna give me a lift?" Barton asked Stark.

"Right, bunch up, legolass," Stark said walking behind Clint and flying up out of sight."

"Thor," Steve said capturing the Norse god's attention, "you gotta try and bottle neck that portal, slow it down. You got the lightning. Light the bastards up." Thor swung his hammer round and then flew up into the air.

"What about us?" I asked.

"Canvass the area. Make sure people are off the streets. If you see any chitauri, don't be afraid to put a knife of a bullet between their eyes," he ordered. I replied with a sharp nod and jumped off the bridge to where I saw a few civilians still on the streets.

I ushered a couple of stubborn citizens, probably reporters looking for a scoop, into a nearby shop. There were a few trapped in semi-trashed cars and were easy to pull out.

I looked up to see the hulk jumping from building to building with chitauri dropping quickly.

I saw a couple of small children trapped in between a couple of completely wrecked cars. They were trapped by seat-belts and the heavy metal framing that surrounded them. I pulled the large metal framing apart and helped the small children climb out of the mangled metal mess.

The light began to get darker. I saw a mass of dark clouds forming in the sky. Thor. The small rumble of thunder reached my ears just before a blinding shot of lightning crackled along the spire of the Chrysler Building and shot up into the sky.

Many thousands of volts crackled around the metal spike with blue-tinged white. All of a sudden a powerful blast shot from the building, straight to the opening of the portal. Many chitauri began to get electrocuted as many small explosions burst in the sky followed by the destruction of one of the flying worms.

Thanos POV

The avengers were fighting back. With force and vengeance. Both Mr Stark and Barton were watching the skies. The mindless beast was making child's play of my squadrons. Most of those who did not have the power of flight or no outright powers were foot soldiers, destroying my chitauri on the ground one at a time.

I noticed agent Romanov had hijacked one of my chitauri flyers. I immediately started to rectify that. I followed her and luckily for me, I knew how to use a flyer and she didn't. I began to fire blasts at her in the hope of shooting her down. She managed to navigate around them and every blast fired missed.

"Hawkeye!" She said, just loud enough for me to hear from behind, "uh, a little help!"

I expected the arrow and sure enough, he fired one. I caught it with ease before it exploded in my hand. I flew and landed on stark tower again with shattered glass surrounding me on the stone balcony.

I began to clamber up onto my feet when the beast showed its face with a loud roar. I jumped forward and shoved me with unbelievable force through the wall of windows.

Unfortunately it was a hard, stone wall that stopped me from flying through the room any further. I landed flat on my stomach with rubble around me.

I got straight back up. The beast was still there. He began to move towards me.

"ENOUGH!" I shouted at it.

_That's not a good idea, Thanos,_ Loki warned.

_You don't have the right to say that to me!_ I spat back. Anger raged through my veins.

"You, all of you beneath me! I am a GOD you dull creature! And I will not be bullied by-"

The beast then grabbed my leg and through me to the ground before flinging me into the stone floor many times over. I could feel Loki taking over at my surprise. I was in utter pain and could not defend myself against both parties that were stronger than I was.

With a final, forceful throw, the hulk threw me into a crater of my own in the stone floor.

I felt my body shut off. It wasn't my body anymore. The room around me faded into darkness. I heard a faint, deep voice commenting:

"Puny god." Before everything went silent. I knew who had said it and was determined to get them back.

My vision cleared just after but to my surprise I was no longer in Stark tower, or earth for that matter.

The dark, inky black sky was my ceiling. I was back on my old planet, in my old body. Loki had done it. He had forced me out. I tried to get back but was met with a hard barrier.

"I told you so," Loki's voice chuckled as I was forced back into my old body. I would get my revenge. Soon.

Grace POV

I began to make my way to Stark tower. If Natasha was going to shut down the portal, she was going to need some help.

I ran through the empty streets as I got closer and closer to Stark tower. I entered the building. I turned around to see more chitauri.

I ran back outside and began to use the last of my bullets and knives to fight them off. I finished the group off when Natasha shouted through our joint communication.

"I can close itDoes anyone copy?i can shut the portal down."

"Do it!" Steve replied immediately.

"No! Wait!" Stark interjected.

"Stark these things are still coming!" Steve pointed out.

"I gotta nuke coming in, it's gonna blow in less than a minute," Stark explained, "and I know just where to put it."

"Stark, that's a one way trip!" I replied.

"Save the rest for the turn,"Stark replied. What was with this guy and not understanding consequences!

We got no response as I picked up all my used knives out of the chitauri corpses. I saw Stark pass above me and turn a perpendicular angle to go straight up into the portal.

I let out a small sigh of relief as he vanished from view but then a mountain of nervous energy built up inside as fear gripped my core. What if he didn't make it out? Watched as chitauri moving towards my stopped and fell to the ground. He had done it.

I stood holding my breath as I wished and hoped he would fly back out of that portal.

"Come on, Tony," I chanted quietly to myself.

"Close it," a quiet order passed through my earpiece.

"Steve! NO!" I cried in protest but it was too late. The portal quickly began to close. I closed my eyes but looked back up to see a figure falling. He had made it. I smiled to myself before realising one crucial detail, "guys, he's not flying, he's falling! He'll be dead if he hits the ground if he isn't dead already!"

This sobered everyone up and just in the nick of time the hulk jumped up and caught him.

I ran as fast as I could back through the streets where I assumed he landed. I quickly saw Thor and Steve on the bridge where I first began fighting. The large green outline of the hulk towered over both of them.

I ran around the long way onto the bridge as I saw a motionless Stark. Tears filled my eyes as I forced myself to keep running. As I got closer a frustrated roar burst through the silence, shocking Stark awake. I wiped the tears from my eyes in joy and jogged up to meet them.

"What just happened?" He asked, "please tell me nobody kissed me." He was definitely back.

"We won," Steve replied as I joined them. Stark let out a sigh of relief.

"Good job guys," Stark said breathlessly. "Let's just not come in tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan, iron man," I said grinning. He gave a strained but genuine laugh in reply.

"We're not finished yet," Thor said, reminding us all of Loki.

"And the. Shwarma after," Stark insisted.

We all made our way back to a semi-wrecked stark tower to bring Loki into custody. Steve and I had a race to go up the stairs to the right floor. Level 80or something like that. I knew I would lose. Steve being a super-soldier made it impossible for me to win.

W got to the floor just in time to see Loki scramble up a couple of steps. I clearly missed something good there as he was covered in scars and bruises. The team stood in front while I took my gun out behind him. Barton had his arrow aimed in front in case he made a move.

"If it's all the same to you," he said shuffling on the step, "I'll have that drink now."

I clicked my gun into place and he turned round at the noise. He looked up at me and his face and eyes went soft and full of love. They were a very familiar green but I didn't care. I didn't want to ask how they changed. He pointed my gun at his face.

"You have the right to remain silent," I said a smile teasing at my lips, with the end of my gun I forced a hard blow across his face, knocking him out. "So shut the hell up."


	44. Chapter 43

**Author's Note: I'm sorry about the previous chapter but I have refreshed it with the correct next instalment of my fanfic. Just to clarify: Thanos is now out of Loki's body but everyone else does not know that even happened. But I hope you like it.**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN AVENGERS!**

Chapter 43: Please, brother

Loki POV

I sat back down in a very similar prison to the one Thanos and I shared. I was so thankful to have him out of my head. But I had no idea how to undo all the horrifying things he did in my body. What everyone else thinks I did. And Grace. Grace. She was alive but did not remember me. Her new opinion was not helped at all by Thanos taking over my body. She, along with the avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D, thought I was a murderous psychopath.

I massaged my temples, trying to ward off an upcoming headache. My head felt a lot more empty now. I knew the reason for it but I refused to think of what I had done and tried to focus on mending all the brokenness I had caused. I heard footsteps. They were heavy. Definitely male. Thor. I had a suspicion he would be the first one to come visit me in my new cage.

It was a blinding white in some form of facility. There was a plain bench for me to sit and a door. I big bolted door that was the opening in a wall that was just a large window into a dark cavern. I was still in the clothes I was captured in, I guessed I hadn't been there very long.

Out of the darkness came the solemn face of my brother. He was in his armour. The metal was tarnished but he looked like he wasn't straight off the battlefield.

"I had a feeling you'd be the first to visit me," I said quietly but it was loud enough to shatter the silence that was filled of all the feelings we had never said to one another.

"Why did you do this Loki?" he said. I looked at him. I didn't make eye contact. I couldn't face the shame in looking into his hurt eyes. They mourned for me. He wanted me back. Probably not anymore. Not after what Thanos used my body to do.

"I was being controlled," I replied simply.

"Loki, do not lie to me. I fear I cannot take it anymore," he sighed. I looked back at the ground and then stood up.

"You think I am lying," I said, "if only it were so. But I swear on Valhalla I was being controlled. I have scars on my torso where I was tortured!" Tears welled in my emerald eyes as I turned to look him directly in the eye. "Do you know what it's like to have your mind picked apart by another being while watching everything you knew to be good turn into a dark, twisted reality? Do you know what it's like to watch everyone you love and care for slip away while your body is inhabited by someone else. You just stand there idle. You can struggle all you want but there is no chance on you ever breaking out and stop them going."

"Broth-"

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO WATCH THAT ONE PERSON YOU CARED FOR WITH ALL YOUR HEART FORGET WHO YOU ARE!" I shouted. Thor was in a stunned silence. The tears continued to roll down my cheeks and I didn't bother to stop them. I broke down into loud gut-wrenching sobs as I fell to my knees, my thoughts of Grace and all the horrors I was put through. I held my head in the palms of my hands as I continued to sob. I continued for another few minutes before taking deep breaths. "Do you know what it's like to be born and grow up an outcast?" I said quietly.

"I wish I could trust you-" Thor started.

"What colour were my eyes?" I interrupted.

"What?"

"My eyes, what colour were they? When you saw me again," I clarified. I had to convince him. "Please, brother. _Think_."

There was a long hesitation before Thor replied, "they were blue, " he replied slowly, "a cold, ice blue." I stood up and walked over to the glass where he stood. My cheeks were still tear streaked but I needed him to look at my eyes.

"And what colour are they now and always have been?" I asked quietly. Thor searched my irises for an explanation. I waited patiently as his eyes widened in realisation.

"You _were_ being controlled!" he gasped.

"Yes."

"Who did this to you Loki?" he questioned.

"His name is Thanos," my voice cracked at all the horrifying memories I had of the torture he put me through. My eyes shot to the plain floor.

"Where is he?" Thor said viscously, "He will pay for what he did to you!"

"Calm yourself, brother," I smiled at how familiar it was to say it, "he is not in any world known, like the chitauri. I never found out it's name"

"I must tell the others!" he announced boldly.

"Like they'd believe you?" I contradicted. Thor thought about my last statement for a minute.

"You have a point brother," he agreed.

"There is one other person I wish to justify myself to," I said looking up at him.

"Who? I shall go and fetch them," he replied.

"A young woman. She's an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Her name is Grace," I explained.

"Grace?" he replied surprised.

"You know of her," I replied slightly disappointed. If Thor knew her and she didn't remember me, I could lose her to him.

"Yes. What is going on with you and her, Loki?" he asked me with his curiosity overflowing.

"If you go fetch her for me, I might tell you when we are back in Asgard," I smirked. Thor chuckled.

"It is a comfort to see you back to your old self again, brother," Thor chuckled, "but I'm not sure whether I c-"

"Please brother," I begged calmly. That was all that was needed. Thor gave a quick smile before disappearing back into the darkness behind.

I turned my back on the window and looked in one of the places in my robe that easily hid objects. I reached in and pulled out the leather-backed book. The gold writing still shimmered against the dark brown cover. I ran my hands over the cover as I remembered when she caught it with the same hands that grasped mine in comfort just before she supposedly died. I opened the book and flicked through the pages that contained many entertaining stories. The scent of the library of Asgard washed over me and through my nostrils. It brought many memories back.

"You wanted to see me?" A gentle, feminine voice behind me asked. Grace.


	45. Chapter 44

Chapter 44: the book

Grace POV

It had been a couple of days since we had arrested Loki and I had a feeling both him and Thor would be heading back to Asgard soon. I wasn't upset that they were going. Quite the opposite actually. I couldn't wait until that psychopath left but...something inside of me didn't want him to go. He was a killer, it was completely absurd! My mind kept flicking back to the book he ordered me to remember and the change of eye colour when we captured him. I could have sworn he had blue eyes when I first talked to him face to face and green eyes in his most recent arrest.

I had been given a S.H.I.E.L.D lockbox. It belonged to Phil Coulson. We all had one. I had been forced to put a note it addressed to the closest person I had. That person was Phil. Because the job was so dangerous, this was our fail safe. If something happened, whether we were captured or killed, this box and its contents would be sent to the closest person in your life. I didn't dare open the red box that I held in my hands. Opening it would be accepting his death and I wasn't ready to do that quite yet.

A loud knock at the door woke me out of my daze.

"Come in," I said, hastily shoving the lockbox into a draw in my bedside table. The door opened to reveal Thor.

"Lady Grace," he greeted. I stood up with a stern look on my face.

"Just Grace, Thor," I corrected. He blushed and then looked at me with dead seriousness.

"I have come to collect you," he explained.

"For who? Is it Fury?" I questioned, "you know you don't have to everything he says."

"No. The director does not need you. At least not that I know of. I am here as a request from my brother."

"Loki? Why does that murdering psychopath want to see me!" I exclaimed. Thor flinched at the insult I used to describe his brother. "Sorry. I'm just confused and a little...overwhelmed."

"I can see that," Thor replied with a small smile. "Please La...Grace. After this one time, I give you my word, you do not have to see him again unless you request."

I stalled my answer as long as possible before shattering the silence with a quiet but firm, "yes. Ok."

"Let us go then," Thor said extending his arm. I took it, grateful for the support and he lead me round the base to Loki's new prison in complete silence. I was thankful he understood my need for peace. He was almost like a long lost brother. It was unbelievably comforting in my newly shaken world. Both him and Steve had been the best support but with Thor there was a certain familiarity. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It was the same feeling I got when I saw Loki's green eyes.

We reached the door of his cell that had a number of DNA scanners and key card slots for extra safety. I weighed my options as the door began to hiss open.

"I would like to go in alone," I told Thor. He didn't say a word but gave a solemn, slow nod. I gave him a small smile of gratitude and walked into the visibly dark cavern. The cell shone like a light in a cave. It was a glass box this time but there was no opening floor below it (or not one that I could see). I walked up to as close as I could get.

He was just standing there with his back turned. He wasn't waiting deviously for the next person to walk into this room so he could manipulate them into setting him free. He wasn't in his armour but in his usual green. That very familiar green.

"You wanted to see me?" I said loudly and clearly. I spoke in the complete opposite as I was feeling.

Loki POV

I turned around to face her and my heart stopped. She was dressed in black but with a red t-shirt under her open black jacket. The red complimented her hair as it was braided down one of her shoulders like red flaxen rope. My eyes and my brain were still in conflict over seeing her standing in front of me and when Odin told me she was dead.

"Yes," I said calmly, walking over to the edge of the cage. Her alabaster skin contrasted with her red hair and she was just as bold as she used to be. I gave a small smile before looking down at the book in my hands.

"Was there a reason you requested me?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied. My eyes shot up to meet her emotional blue ones, "I wished to give you this." I gestured to the book in my hands. "I was very violent the last time I asked. That was entirely my fault. I'm sorry about the agent I killed. He was obviously close to you."

"Why are you saying all these things?" she asked. Her opinions of me now at war.

"Because the last time we talked, I was being controlled," I explained, "by another being."

"Why should I believe you?" she continued to question. A small tear slid down her right cheek. It broke my heart to see her like this. I wanted nothing more than to go and wipe that tear tenderly off her cheek.

"It's not important. I am about to leave for Asgard but," I paused lifting the book, "I wanted you to have this."

"A book."

"A very important book," I explained. I heard more footsteps as armed guards surrounded my cage. I showed her the book and set it down, "it is time for my transfer. Good luck Grace," my voice cracked with emotion. She did not remember me. I had to let go, "I wish you every happiness in your new life."

Grace POV

I wondered what he meant. There was nothing I could do as he was pulled out of his prison cell and carried away. I didn't stop them. Why should I? I didn't move a muscle. Some part of my body wanted me to pull him away from those guards and make sure he never got into Fury's clutches again. But I stood still, barely blinking. What was going on?

I snapped out of my trance to an empty jail cell. The door was still open to the cage. Curiosity filled me as I walked into the prisoners' threshold. It was clean and white. Very white. It reminded me of the facility. I walked over to the bench where Loki set down a book. The book. What was so important about it? I highly doubted it contained the key to super powers.

I picked up the book in both hands and looked down at the gold writing on the dark leather cover. It was an extremely old book but it was so familiar. It was the same familiarity as Thor and the same with Loki's green eyes but stronger, so much stronger. I walked out of the cell as I felt the leather bounding. By the time I entered a main corridor I was overwhelmed by curiosity and opened the thick cover. It smelt of crisp pages and a library. A library? I had been to one but it wasn't so familiar that I knew what it smelt like.

I opened the front page and there was an inscription on it. It was done it an old pen with highly trained skills. It said:

_To my dearest Grace._

_One whom I will never forget through _

_pages of this book._

It hit be like a ton of brcks being poured on me. Everything came back. Memories swirled and details and people and places.

The library of Asgard, cook, Oliviana, the fantastic palace gardens.

Sights and smelled came back, everything swirled around in my head.

The rainbow road, the bifrost, Heimdall.

Details about myself and my past filled my head as the world around me blurred and spun at unnatural speed.

I was a maid, cleaning the library, scrubbing the floors, polishing armour, the warriors three, Lady Sif, Queen Frigga, the all-father, Thor. I had been working beside a prince of Asgard, my boss and I never knew it!

My fight with the all father, all those moments of deep emotion in the library with Loki, the ballroom with Loki, the palace gardens with Loki. His green eyes, his raven hair.

My heart soared as I remembered every heart-warming detail and moments I had ever shared with the shadowed prince of Asgard. Loki. Loki.

My memories slowed down and stopped. The room was still spinning as I became more and more faint. How could the Loki I once know turn into the horrible monster that terrorised this world?

More questions abut Loki filled my head as I collapsed onto the cold floor as everything fell into darkness.

**Author's note: Well? I really need feedback on this chapter as I loved writing it and from now on, more and more things will be on the up, I promise. No more character killing, more light-hearted banter. I can't guarantee things in Asgard will go smoothly but you'll just have to read and find out. PLEASE REVIEW!**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**


	46. Chapter 45

Chapter 45: memories lost and found

Grace POV

My head was sore. It felt heavy and ached. I opened my sticky eyelids with great difficulty to find just blurry images. What had happened? No. I remembered. That was the reason my head hurt.

I am Grace. I was a maid of the Asgardian royal family but was exiled from my home realm and now I'm a S.H.I.E.L.D agent. I had a family...they were killed by frost giants. I had Phil Coulson on earth but Loki killed him.

"Grace? Are you awake?" A voice asked out of the blurry mess. It began to move as pieces of background and shapes began to sharpen. The smudges in front of me transformed into the avengers (not with Thor) standing over me.

"What are you guyssss doing herrrre," I slurred as I sluggishly sat up on what seemed to be a bed. The images sharpened and the blue and yellow blob beside me turned out to be Steve.

"Making you're ok forget-me-not," Stark said a little too loudly for my liking.

"When we came back to get our things we found you passed out in the middle of a corridor," Steve explained in a much more favourable volume.

"Thank you for finding me but I'm fine, I don't need your help anymore," I thanked and lied. Steve could tell as he stayed while the others mumbled disgruntled fairwells at their dismissal.

I waited until I was absolutely certain the others were out of earshot before I turned to a sceptical Steve.

"Are you sure you are ok?" he asked nervously. I ignored his question.

"I know who I am," I blurted out. I refused to look him in the eye for a couple of seconds.

"Who are you Grace?"

"I am Grace. I am a kitchen maid of the royal household of Asgard. I met Loki while sweeping the library; he walked in on me reading. He became a friend immediately. I didn't know Thor personally but I saw him many times while on errands. I was exiled and my memory was wiped by Odin because he feared I was an ungrateful maid seducing her way into the high classes. I was not, however, the Loki I knew there and back then was very different. His wit and charm and unbelievably good looks caught my heart and by the time I left I was head over heels in love with him but I didn't recognise the feeling until just before I passed out." I took a deep breath as I didn't take one breath throughout the speech.

"Well..." Steve obviously had no idea what to make of it. Instead of speaking the questions currently on his mind he changed the subject quickly and effectively. "Stark is helping rebuild New York and has offered us somewhere to live in Stark tower as I found out today our apartment got destroyed by that flying chitauri thing." I chuckled at his inability to describe the flying armoured worms that roamed the skies for a short period of time.

"I can't tell whether that is a good or a bad thing?" I chuckled and Steve joined in with a roaring laugh. After these past months of both of my lives flipping upside down, they had finally melted together and were now going up.

Loki POV

I had my eyes closed when Thor activated the tesseract. When I opened them I let my eyes adjust before I realised we were back on Asgard. Back home. So much had happened since I had been away. I regret many things but one of the biggest regrets was leaving mother.

"Welcome back Prince Thor," Heimdall announced boldly, he turned to look at me and gave me no greeting but a cold hard stare. I knew I deserved it. Heimdall bowed out and went back to looking for threats. It was just a shame he could not see Thanos. Thor turned to me.

"Are you ready brother?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied firmly.

"Will you tell me your relationship with Grace? We are back in Asgard," Thor pointed out. I became sad. Even her name stirred up memories of false hope and our last conversation before I left. But Thor deserved to know.

"Of course," I replied. As we walked down the rainbow road I told him everything. The day we first met in the library, my descent into love, when I though she was dead, when I saw her alive and our last conversation and the book. By the time we reached the large entrance to the palace, Thor knew everything.

"Did father really do that?" he asked.

"I wish I could saw he didn't. But then I would be lying and I've done that too much," I confessed, do you believe me?"

"Of course, brother," Thor smiled, "I shall stand by you in front of father. And with that encouraging sentence we pushed the large doors open and entered the throne room as brothers in arms once more.

**Author's Note: This is not the end! Oh no. This is only the beginning of the end. PLEASE REVIEW! I don't mind whether it's praise or criticism. But I need feedback.**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**


	47. Chapter 46

Author's Note: This chapter goes to Monster-Of-Chaos13 who followed and favourited both my story and I. Thank you and here you go!

DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING

Chapter 46: Back in Asgard

Loki POV

We walked up the large hall towards the golden figure of my father that sat with authority on his throne. Our footsteps clicked on the marble floor beneath us. I remembered the time when Grace was the one who had made it incredibly slippery from her incessant scrubbing. I shook off the memory as we reached the bottom of the steps, below the all-father.

Both of us kneeled before him. I faced my reflection on the marble floor knowing that he was never going to believe my story whether I showed him my scars or not. I heard another set of footsteps on one side of the hall.

"Rise," he ordered sternly. "Both of you." I got up and looked at him. His one eye looking at me with great disappointment and hurt. But before I could get a word in I was almost thrown to the ground by a strong but smaller figure. Mother. I wrapped around her as she sobbed into my robes. It was heart warming to know I was missed by her and she didn't mind going near me.

"Loki," she sobbed softly and was muffled by her face in my green robes, "you're home."

"Yes, mother," I replied softly before planting a small, affectionate kiss on the crown of her head, "and I'm glad I'm back home." She pulled away and took my face in her hands. Tears were still trickling down her cheeks but there was a smile on her face.

"Loki," Odin broke the affectionate reunion with ease, "why in Vallhalla could you such a thing to your family! To Midgard!" Despite my father's angry tone and my constant rage at what he really did to Grace, I did not let my anger reflect in my answer.

"I was being controlled," I explained, "by a being by the name of Thanos. He is not of any world or realm known so you won't find him even if you tried to look for him. He was going to use the tesseract to control the universe. He used his powers to take over my body so if plan failed, no one would know about him and he could try again through some one else." Mother still had her hands clasped around my left arm. Thor was on my right and stood perfectly silent.

"Why should I believe you?" Odin questioned.

"I have no idea. I grew up in a family that didn't quite accept me and it seems you are more of a liar than I am. I saw her," I replied. My last three words were all that was needed to shake Odin.

"Who? Odin, what is going on? Loki?" Mother questioned. Odin hadn't told her.

"_Father_ can explain," I spat bitterly, "I need to go and wash up. Thor can accompany me, if you are unsure about my intentions."

I went and washed up in my brother's washroom as I no longer had a room. Against Mother's wishes, my room was changed into a gust room for visiting noblemen. The borderline scalding water was just what I needed as I scrubbed off the dirt and grime on my skin. Thor requested a maid to cut my hair back to it's old length. He said it was better to picture me as I used to be when I looked the same. I walked out of the room with my hair freshly cut and a green towel wrapped around my hips. The maid had gasped in horror as she looked at my scars. I hated them as well but because they were on my front, I could do nothing about them.

Thor looked at the long pink scars that were slashed up and down my torso as he gave a small nod of belief. He now knew everything about what had happened to me and I was actually glad he did. Secrets were now a thing I despised instead of favoured. It was strange how much my world view had changed since I had been in Asgard. I began to get dressed back into my clothes when Thor and I heard yelling down the hall.

"IT WAS YOUR FAULT HE BECAME LIKE THAT! WHY DID YOU DO THAT!" It was clearly mother's voice. Thor questioned me with a look and I replied with a simple nod. Father had told her about Grace. I turned my back to Thor as I finished up getting dressed. The shouts had died down and I decided to go somewhere I knew I didn't want to be bothered.

"I'm going to the library," I told Thor, "and I'd prefer it if I went alone."

"Of course," he replied, "it can't be easy. Everyone is feeling stressed or confused and the secrets are spilling."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, brother," he replied before I left.


	48. Chapter 47

Chapter 47: What is going on?

Loki POV

After what felt like an eternity but in reality was three days, Odin called both Thor and I into his presence. The atmosphere had been awkward and I had had plenty of death threats. I had two from Sif alone. They really hated me but they did have a right. The feeling was definitely mutual with them. I knew that there would be two options of what happened to me and that was what we were going to speak to Odin about. The verdict was in.

Mother had found me in library one afternoon. She was sympathetic to what had happened to me. She told me that she knew something was off before Thor came back from his banishment. She wanted to know everything from my point of view instead of jumping to conclusions like Odin. I still couldn't bring myself to think off him as a father. I told her everything. I told her all my feelings, when Thanos took over and when I saw her again. How my heart soared when I realised she was alive, my anger and excruciating sadness when she didn't remember me. I cried more than I had in my lifetime on that one afternoon and mother just held me like I was still a small child afraid of the dark. I walked out of the library arm in arm with my mother that evening feeling light-hearted and a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders.

"Brother," Thor said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder and waking me up from my haze. "It is time." In those three words I knew exactly what he meant. I had a lingering feeling that I was going to be thrown in the deepest part of the dungeons and forgotten about, never to see the light of day again.

"Of course," I replied and followed his lead back into Odin's favourite room. The throne room. We walked up the large hall as if we were thieves caught in the act. We bowed down and were told to rise after a couple of seconds. The size of the throne room and the knowledge of my insubordination made this a more daunting encounter with my father than ever before.

"Loki," Odin announced, " you have gone against the rules of social etiquette, you allowed an enemy of Asgard access behind these walls and you allowed yourself to be taken over by an unknown being which lead to the attempted destruction of another planet." I shocked to find that he believed I had been taken over. Maybe Thor's attempt to make him see what had happened had worked. "I should lock you up for the rest of eternity but against my better judgement and the insistence of others." he shot mother a glare. Mother gave me an encouraging smile. "I am banishing you to the world you once assisted to destroy and to live a mortal life righting your wrongs."

I breathed a sigh of relief but then my breath hitched once more. If I was to right my wrongs, it would mean I would have to work beside her when she has no knowledge of me and thinks me a murderer. The pain of unrequited love would be excruciating.

"Father," I begged, "don't do this to me." Thor had no idea why I didn't want this until I began to beg. Mother realised as well.

"Odin! That is worse that being locked up!" she cried.

"Father that is cruel!" Thor protested, "If Loki has to go through with that then I shall accompany him. He is going to need someone who does not want him dead to make sure he does what he has been asked to do."

"Thor. It is not your punishment," Odin replied.

"If you put Loki through that then it shall be."

"Fine," he sighed, "Loki may return if he redeems himself and proves to me he is worthy."

"Father-"

"I agree, " I interrupted Thor. He shot me a look of surprise, "it is what I deserve."

"Then we go together," Thor announced boldly, placing a strong hand on my shoulder.

"Then so be it," Odin replied, "go."

I gave a farewell nod to mother. I was determined to get back to her one way or another. But not before I proved to the Grace I loved but who no longer knows who I am that I am not the murderer she once fought. Mother replied with a sad smile as both Thor and I turned our backs on them and made our way to Heimdall and the bifrost.

Grace POV

Stark Tower, New York

We had moved into Stark Tower within a matter of weeks. I was surprised at two things recently: 1) S.H.I.E.L.D actually let us stay in the base for an entire month while Stark built our new living space and 2) How quickly it took Stark to rebuild the tower.

All my memories had now fully returned without the nausea and my skills had come back. I surprised Steve and the other avengers with my dancing skills last weekend at a reopening party with just the avengers. It seems all those celebration balls the royal family allowed up to have in the kitchen paid off. I also showed them my highly-developed cooking skills. I thanked cook for that. Even when she bossed me about I knew all the things she had taught me had sunk in.

I knew that time passed slower up in Asgard that it did on earth but I was used to being frantic and running about places so the speed of the days was comforting in a way. Unfortunately, this meant that my days and nights were on a pretty messed up calender.

I sat in the modern, marble counter-topped kitchen in the main living room of Stark tower. The Loki-sized and shaped crater was now completely gone and refurbished over with fresh tiles although the video of him being flung around like a rag-doll had not. Stark put it on every night and laughed loudly and hysterically with the rest of the avengers. I was just back from another mission in Taiwan. Some false alien scare. Deep down I hoped that Thor and Loki had returned.

In my time off, before I had moved into Stark tower, I had managed to visit London. It was like New York only smaller. They had oddly shaped Black cabs instead of yellow ones and large, red, double-decker buses. I managed to fall in love with the drink they had there. Tea. I knew Americans had it but it wasn't the same. I bought myself a couple of months worth of English teabags for comfort.

I gingerly sipped the hot, milky tea in my Macy's mug in the dark. It was the middle of the night. No one was up. Why would they be? I turned on one of the small lights that lit up one counter top. I began to pull out flour and other necessary ingredients. When I couldn't sleep, I'd bake. It was mostly bread as It made the least noise and created the most heavenly aroma in the mornings. I took another sip of my tea and then began to mix together the ingredients. I tied my hair up in a loose, make-shift bun after I thought the ingredients were properly mixed. I managed to get a bit of flour on my face and hair but I didn't mind. Baking was meant to be messy, especially if it was done in the dark. As I began to knead the gooey dough I felt my eyelids begin to close. I forced myself to stay awake just a little minute longer.

I put the now shaped dough into the oven for a slow bake so it would be ready for the boys. I sat down in the island in the middle of the kitchen and rested my head on my hands on the table. I slowly drifted off into a deep sleep...

"Grace?" a soft voice said softly. I felt a hand gently shake my shoulder. I still refused to open my eyes. "Grace, Fury is here and he has guests with him." I reluctantly opened my eyes to Steve kneeling down but looking up at me and the rest of the avengers crowded around me. Tony had a silly grin on his face.

"That's a good look for you," he commented. I wondered what he was talking about until I realised my surroundings. I was covered in flour and raw bread dough with sleep marks on my cheek and arms and half a mug of cold tea in front of me, "and the bread smells great."

"Thanks," I replied coldly.

"Come on, Fury's pissed," he then ordered. I got up and followed them around to the seated area. I saw the unmistakeable figure of Fury get up and then another two men got up shortly after him.

"It seems we got a late delivery last night with quite a story," Fury explained. The two men turned around and walked towards us. They were no strangers to us.

"What are you doing here?" I gasped.

**Author's Note: DUN DUN DUUUUUUNNNNN! You can probably guess who it is though. PLEASE REVIEW! AM I DOING OK!? I need to know. The review box is just a click away, please!**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ANY THING!**


	49. Chapter 48

**Author's Note: A big thank you to ILoveThee and Emonster94. I have fixed that grammatical error you pointed out to me **facepalm** This chapter is for you guys!**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**

Chapter 48: the difference between truth and lies

Loki POV

We had arrived on earth very late at night as it was pitch black where we had landed. We stayed where we were even though we had no idea where we were but there was a faint cluster of lights in the distance to our left. S.H.I.E.L.D arrived shortly and Fury was confused and angered at our presence.

"What the hell are you two doing back?" he asked harshly, "why isn't he in shackles or some form of cage?" It was obvious that he was talking to Thor.

"It is a long story, Director Fury but we would be happy to tell you the story as you take us to see the others," Thor explained calmly.

"What makes you think I would do that?"

"After this, you're going to know," Thor replied. Fury narrowed his one eye before guiding us to the back seats of his large black vehicle. Without Fury's help I wouldn't have been able to find the door, the vehicle seemed to blend into the night.

When we got into the back seat and our transport hummed into action Fury gave us an interrogation and I told him everything with Thanos, purposely leaving out the details about Grace. There was no doubt in my mind that he would disapprove and hate me more.

The vehicle had stopped after a semi-lengthy journey and we were in the re-built place that I once was forced to destroy. It made me glad to see that the humans had rebuilt their homes. We were at the bottom of the highly-familiar Stark tower.

"It's early hours of the morning here so I'll have to get JARVIS to wake up the avengers," Fury explained.

"But there are light on and people walking around?" Thor replied confused.

"It ain't called the city that never sleeps for no reason," Fury said leading us in and up many levels in a curious box that allowed us to go higher up the tower.

We arrived at a very familiar sitting room and kitchen. I looked down at the floor I was once thrown down onto and winced at the memory of the pain. I breathed in the heavenly and homey scent of baking bread and peered into the kitchen. And there she was. She was just how I remembered her in Asgard. Grace was slumped on the middle worktop of the kitchen, fast asleep. There was flour on her face and dough in her hair. A large mug lay in front of her with one hand still curled around it while the other one prevented her head from falling onto the cold stone. I so desperately wanted to wake her with a gentle touch but I thought of the consequences, her reactiona and Fury's and decided to wake over and sit down beside Thor and Fury.

"JARVIS?" Fury askd aloud.

"Yes, director Fury," A voice responded out of nowhere. I searched the ceiling for where the voice was coming from but I could not find it

"Wake up the avengers, please, it's an emergency," he ordered.

"Of course, Director," Everything was silent and no one moved an inch for at least 10 minutes until Stark burst into the room in a sleepy rage. Fury stood up and addressed the disgruntled and sleep-tousled group standing at the door in their night-clothes.

"Could someone wake up Agent Holmes please," he ordered calmly as the group turned their heads automatically to the kitchen. It seems that Grace had spent the night in the kitchen more than once. The Captain and Mr Stark shuffled over to her and, I assumed, woke her up as she was out of view. Fury sat back down and waited patiently until three pairs of footsteps trudged forward. He got up and turned around to face the group again.

"It seems we got a late delivery last night with quite a story," Fury explained. I thouht it best to stand up and make my presence known. Thor agreed and we stood up and walked towards the group in the dim light.

"What are you doing here?" Grace gasped as she saw us emerge from the shadows but I could tell she was not talking to me. She jogged over to Thor and gave him a hug. Thor took it gratefully and chuckled in pleasure. My insides lurched with jealousy, "we weren't told to be expecting you!"

"Well, we have been sent back, to help," Thor explained.

"I see," she replied taking a step back as she gave me a deep glare. Her eyes bore into mine in search of explanation and my deepest secrets.

"Fury, what is he doing here?" Stark asked, breaking the silence, "and why did you have to wake us up at 4am for this?"

"I'll let him tell you Stark," Fury said before leaving the room and quite possibly the building without another word.

"Everyone go to bed," Stark ordered, turning his back on us before turning around swiftly, "I have your room point break, if you want it," he said to Thor and then he turned to me as Thor walked to join them, "we'll deal with you in the morning."

They all left with hushed gossip-like whispers, except for Grace, she stayed in the same position until they left. Her eyes continued to look into mine. She let out a long, slow breath and broke eye contact after what seemed a lifetime. She shuffled back over to the kitchen and collect something from one of the cupboards before walking back to me.

"I do believe this belongs to you," she said slowly, handing me the book I had given her. That book. The reason I had met her. The cornerstone of our now lost relationship. I took it in my hands and as my eyes bored onto the cover, my head snapped up to look at her in shock and realisation.

"You remember?" I breathed. I blinked back tears as I looked at her with al the longing and hope I had built up inside of me.

"Yes," she replied, "everything." My breath hitched as a single tear trickled down her pale cheek. My hands instictively dropped the book and cupped her beautiful face. My right thumb wiped the tear off her face as she pulled away sharply and broke eye contact. I immediately realised what I had done. I had unintentionally broken the very delicate barrier of her conflicting thoughts.

"I'm sorry," I apologised, "clearly you do not remember the extent of our relationship when we were in Asgard."

"I do," she replied and looked at me again with hurt and sadness in her eyes, "but I think of the man I knew in Asgard. The one who was kind and considerate, even if he was constantly over-looked and a tad mishcievous. And then I think of the one I met while on earth. The cold-hearted, murdering monster that killed the closest thing to family I had left. ever since I got my past life back, I couldn't help but think that everything you were in Asgard was one of your tricks."

"It wasn't," I begged. I was desperate to make her believe in my story, "I was being controlled by the most heartless being in the universe when I arrived on earth. I tried to take back my body many times. Mostly when you were in front of me. I tried to stop him from killing that agent but I couldn't stop him in time. I am _so_ sorry." My words came out in a mad scramble to try and explain to her quickly before she just walked away, "please say you believe me! Please, I need you to know that i am speaking the truth!"

"I need time to think about it," she replied pulling away, "however much you want me to believe in you I will always find it challenging to trust you again."

I watched, heart broken, as she walked out of the room and into the shadows.


	50. Chapter 49

Chapter 49: when the truth spills out...

Grace POV

My head was in such a spin after my conversation with Loki that I could not bring myself to close me eyes and attempt to sleep. My insides conflicted at what sort of man he was as I had seen two _very_ different people. At this point I broke the ice in myself and admitted my feelings for the old Loki. I would never dare tell him what I thought of him in Asgard. How my heart skipped a beat everytime I saw him wandering around the palace, or how I would become giddy just before talking with him and how I anticipated our next meeting with enthusiasm throughout the week.

But then there was the man who killed Phil and 80 other innocent people, who showed no remorse for those deaths and who tried to take over the world that I had come to love as much as Asgard.

I lay down on my bed, staring up at the blank ceiling as though searching for answers that I knew would never come. My mind flitted through all the memories that I had regained. It was like recovering a precious jewel. I looked over all the scenes in detail and looked at everything I took for granted. I began to feel something I hadn't felt in a long time; homesickness. It was an almost alien feeling but it made my gut wrench and eyes well up in tears. I remembered my parents, my brother, cook, Oliviana, the other kitchen staff, butlers and ladies-maids I would consider friends. But after all that I landed on the fight I had with Odin and what I had said.

For those four hours, until the sun rose, I let my tears fall unrestricted. By the time the warm golden glow of the sun shone under my curtains I made the decision to not get up. I needed to spend some more time in thought. I got out of bed and opened the blackout curtains which revealed a panoramic view of the sunrise over the skyscrapers of New York. I wrapped my arms around myself and stared out the window at the beauty before me.

Loki POV

I had failed to fall asleep after my discussion with Grace. I felt something I was used to but it was so strange. I felt lonely. I lay on one of Mr Stark's long seats until the sun rose. I walked over the row of windows which I had, at one point, been thrown through and looked over the city I had once been forced to destroy as it was washed over by a golden glow.

As I watched the sun rise, I reflected on my time I was conscious in the unknown world. I remember when every scar on my torso was carved and what it felt like. I also remembered that my thoughts were of Grace. How I prayed I could join her (when I thought she was dead). I remembered when I first saw her when I was trapped by Thanos. What was I to do when she remembered me but no longer trusted me?

Within half an hour of the sun rising, my brother greeted me. As glad as I was to see him, I wished it was Grace walking through the door.

"Good morning, brother," he said boldly, "did you sleep well?"

"I didn't sleep at all Thor," I replied coolly.

"I know, brother, but once you explain, I'm sure they'll understand," Thor tried to reassure.

"You have too much faith in them, brother," I pointed out. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted around the room and filled our nostrils.

"It smells like breakfast at home."

"Grace made it," in those three words Thor knew exactly what I meant and what I was feeling. He walked over the the kitchen and opened the door to theatre box which contained the bread and took it out. He set it quickly on the table as it must have been hot.

By the time we began eating the delicious warm slices of bread, the rest of the avengers trudged into the room in a sleepy haze.

Tony Stark looked at me sternly before helping himself to a mug full of some steaming brown liquid. The soldier walked in and gave me a disapproving look.

"I kinda hoped I dreamed you showing up," he said before sitting across the way. I looked around the others who were helping themselves to breakfast. Grace was not there.

"Point break!" Stark shouted at Thor to attract his attention," have some breakfast." He threw a colourful box at Thor and Thor caught it.

"What are these?" Thor replied out of confusion.

"They don't have pop-tarts in Asgard?" the captain asked sarcastically.

"No."

"They're good. Try them," captain urged. Thor opened the box and tentatively placed a small rectangle in his mouth. His eyes immediately opened it surprise and began shovelling them in until the box was finished.

I zoned out of the conversation and my surroundings and recoiled into my own thoughts. Did I repulse Grace that much that she refused to come to breakfast? How can I make her believe me? Will she ever trust me again?

I had no idea how much time had passed until I was shaken out of my daze by The captain but the all the avengers had left except for the captain and Thor was searching the cup words for more of those biscuits he was eating.

"Captain I am s-"

"I know about your relationship with Grace," he interrupted.

"H...how?" I asked.

"She told me. You have to understand, she's like a sister to me. I would hate to see anything bad happen to her," he explained.

"Where is she? Is she alright?" I questioned. Before I could ask more he stopped me.

"She's fine. But you'll probably not see her till this evening," he replied.

"I need her to believe me, my story," I begged.

"I am curious to your side of the story because the way Grace described you from Asgard and on earth, you seemed like two different people."

"I was. After I supposedly 'died' I landed in an unknown realm where I was bound and tortured to become an ally and destroy earth to gain the tesseract. After hours, quite possibly days, of torture I gave in." I explained, "only out of spite on my brother. But when I agreed to be an ally, a cruel being called Thanos took over my body."

"So it was Thanos in your body that tried to take over the world?" He asked.

"Yes. There was nothing I could do to stop him," I replied with sincerity, "Thanos managed to be knocked out of my body by the shock of the hulk smashing me into the floor."

"So it was the shock? Not the force?" He asked.

"I think it was the combination of the two. The shock lowered Thanos' guard so I could and the force got rid of him."

"I see," the captain replied and hesitated before saying, "and I believe you."

"You do?" I gasped with disbelief.

"Yes. You're eyes were an icy blue like Barton's when first fought you and now they are green. This is how we are going to convince the others," he said before we concocted a plan and set off to fulfil it.

Grace POV

By mid-afternoon I decided to go and get my frustration out of my system. I headed to Stark's new gym/training centre. I strapped up my hands and tied up my red hair into a loose bun before pounding my fists into a punching bag.

I pictured all the people who deserved those punches. Odin; for erasing memory over falsely presumed motives, Fandrall and Volstagg; who saw me as a blank face and the Loki that semi-destroyed New York; for killing Coulson and ruining many innocent families for the fun of it.

I was most frustrated at Loki. Our encounter last night, his pleading green eyes. I think back to when he was imprisoned in the glass box. His cold blue eyes - blue eyes? The Loki I knew on Asgard had memorably soft green eyes but the Loki on earth had cold blue eyes.

I stopped the swinging bag and wiped the sweat off my brow.

"Oh my god."


	51. Chapter 50

**Author's note: Wow. 50 chapters! There is a little while to go yet but I just want to say a huge thank you to all those who have read my story whether you are just joining or been reading as I update. Thank you to all those who follow, review and favourite too! This is not the last chapter but I watched agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and loved it but Coulson is remaining dead. Sorry:(**

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**

Chapter 50: the best moment in the world...

Grace POV

The realisation hit me like a brick. Loki had never changed! Ecstatic was an understatement. My knees became weak in relief as I slumped onto the floor. I calmed myself down before running out of the gym and showering.

I showered all the sweat off and changed into fresh, clothes and walked up to the main living area and out through to the walkway sticking out of the tower to let my hair dry and breathe fresh air.

I always go out there to watch the sunset. I smiled to myself every time I realised I never watched the sunset when I had spent so many afternoons talking to Loki until it got dark. I now had the chance and it was breathtaking no matter how many times I watched it happen.

Everyone always left me alone when I did this. I needed time to think by myself and breathe air without others around to annoy me (that person mainly being Tony Stark) I respected that and I had a feeling Steve had something to do with it.

Loki POV

After a surprisingly informative discussion we set off to explain what had happened to me to the other avengers in the hope that they would believe me. Surprisingly, the all did. Eventually. The Captain was definitely more of the command role and everyone respected and trusted his judgement (even Mr Stark but he took a bit more work). By the time dinner was served we were all eating around the table - together! It was, practically, living proof that miracles to happen.

But there was one missing piece to this rather fortunate dinner. Grace was absent. Was I still that horrifying to her that she couldn't dare be in the same room as me? I knew Thanos had done something unspeakable to her in my body. I just wished and prayed and hoped she could ever believe that it was not me.

It was almost as though the Captain could hear my thoughts while sitting beside me as he nudged my elbow gently to grab my attention.

"She's out on the ledge watching the sunset," he whispered to me so the conversation would not be noticed by the other avengers who still remained oblivious to the Grace aspect of my story. "She does it every day to think. She'll be out there alone until it's completely dark. You can go out to her after dinner."

"Thank you," I replied gratefully. He nodded sharply and we both went back to the plates of food we had in front of us.

I wanted to eat my plate as quickly as possible so I could leave but I knew that would be suspicious. So I ate through every agonisingly long second until my plate was empty and the dinner conversations that I was oblivious to were dying down. I excused myself and made my way up to the ledge where the Captain had told me where Grace was.

I walked onto the ledge and looked down the pathway that stuck out to produce a breath-taking view of the city. The sun was only half set and Grace was staring at it as if staring it down. Her red hair was in a long braid down her back and she was dressed in a long, grey cardigan that was wrapped around her to shield her from the wind. Her arms were wrapped around her knees and her hands were clasped tightly around the front. Some loose strands of her hair were teased out by the wind as they now twisted around her face.

I slowly walked towards her with my heart in my throat and a flutter in my stomach. The symptoms of love. Odin would howl in shame if he knew the emotions I was feeling at that moment when I saw her.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," I said when I thought I was close enough for her to hear me but not close enough to make her want to throw me off the edge. Her head flicked around sharply to look at me. Her expression then softened much to my surprise.

"No, it's fine," she replied, "do you want to sit down?"

"Y...s..sure,"I was in shock at her request that I could not quite believe what I was hearing. Had she forgiven me? Did she believe me? As these questions filled my head, pure hope was running through my system. I walked over and sat down beside her. Her beautiful blue eyes detached themselves from mine bore into the golden orb of the sun slowly sinking below the level of the tall towers.

"Isn't funny how we used to talk until it got dark but have never really watched the sunset," she said breaking the semi-awkward silence.

"I suppose so," I replied simply, trying not to trip up on my words. After another couple of minutes of excruciating silence I could not hold it in any longer. "Why are you allowing me to be here?"

"I remember every single detail when Phil died. It is constantly on repeat in my mind, even when I sleep," she stated. I looked at the ground in shame and sorrow. I listened to her deep breathing and could tell she was holding back tears. "But...I knew after that...discussion...we had...the eyes that I saw a few nights back were far more different than the one's that were cold and merciless on the heli-carrier."

My head snapped up to look at her in shock. She sat there smiling at me, borderline giggling. I smiled out of pure joy. My heart was overwhelmed with excitement, happiness and love I would have kissed her on the spot even if it was so the right moment but so the wrong moment at the same time.

"To hear you say that...I think my heart is doing somersaults," I gasped. She burst into a fit of giggles and shortly joined in with such familiar laughter. I had missed it so much that it was such a relief to have it back. For it truely was the best moment in the world...


End file.
